When Somebody Loves You
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: My first DBZ story. AU, taking place after the Trunks saga but before the Android. Gohan is haunted by the idea of his father dying of that dreaded heart virus and decides to do something about it...R&R! Chapter 16 added 8 07 05! COMPLETED
1. Chapter I: Alone

When Somebody Loves You…

_I don't claim to own Dragonball, Dragonball Z or any of their characters. They all belong to their representative owners. I'm just borrowing them in this story. For those that don't know, I'm a major Gohan-Goku fan, I love their father-son relationship so this story is mainly pure fluff! I hope you enjoy. This is my first time writing DBZ so please R&R! It's an alternate reality, changes a little of the plot, and takes place right after the Trunks saga._

_"I will risk everything, I will fight, I will bleed. I will lay down my life if that's what you need."_

**Chapter I:**

**Alone**

Blood.

Lots of it.

That was all he could see: blood everywhere. All he could smell was blood. All he could see was blood. All he could feel was blood. Aside from the bright red lake he seemed to be standing it, all else he saw was darkness. The small Half-Saiyan boy trembled. He would never admit it but he hated the dark. He had never been fond of it but as of late, he was starting to dread it. Especially with the threat of the Androids.

The small six year old trembled. He was supposed to be a fighter. He was a fighter. He loved seeing justice prevail because of what he and his friends did. He didn't like the violence that went along with it but his father didn't like to hurt and kill either. Gohan loved the sparring though. He loved the martial arts. He felt like he was himself when he was training, outside or on the battlefield. Still, despite these facts, he was hardly seasoned. As much as he liked it, and as much as he had learned, he was only six years old.

"Daddy!"

Gohan cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "Daddy!"

He got no reply, aside from a few muffled screams and groans. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on his father's ki. He was new at that talent though. He'd only just learned it a few months ago and he had never thought to practice that when he and his father sparred. He was beginning to wish he had. It could have really been helpful about now.

No time to dwell on that. Dr. Gero's androids had appeared and there was no time for him to be pondering "what ifs." He needed to find one of the others. In the midst of the battle, he'd become separated from them. He didn't know where they had all been scattered. There were only two androids but they had already managed to fall Piccolo. Gohan didn't even want to think about what had happened to the Namekian. Right now, he just wanted to find someone! As immature and babyish he knew it made him look, he could think of nothing more he wanted to do at that moment then fling himself into his father's strong arms. He wanted Daddy!

The half Saiyan ran through the blackened earth, shuddering. He couldn't even see the stars anymore; the sky was too clouded with dust and blood. He kept his mouth shut as he ran. If he let even a little dust into his mouth, he tasted the sour and bitter taste of someone's blood. It was enough to make him sick to his stomach at the mere thought of it. Tasting it was bad enough but it made him realize that someone was probably dying. He shuddered. Who was dying?! Who?! Tien? Yamcha? Chaozu? Krillin? Piccolo…Daddy?!

"IIE!" Gohan refused to believe that. Daddy had just gotten back. He wasn't about to believe he was being taken away again so soon. He loved his mother but not like he did his father. Perhaps it was playing favorites but he never doubted his father's love for him. With his mother, it was more like he felt like he had to earn her love. He felt she hated who he was a lot of time, simply because he wasn't a scholar at heart like she wanted. With his father, he could have told him he wanted to be a professional minstrel and he would have been behind him every step of the way. It had killed his heart the few months his father had been gone. He couldn't lose him again, he couldn't! Not again!

"Oof!"

Gohan went sprawling onto his face, winding up with a mouthful of dirt in the process. He gagged and sat up, spitting up the particles of soil before turning to see what had tripped him up. He stumbled to his feet, wishing his tail would hurry up and grow back. It gave him a better balance. The boy brushed dirt off of his gi and then paused. Part of the purple gi was darker, and it smelt of bodily fluids. He wiped his finger over the stain his finger turned green. Green blood…but that meant-

"PICCOLO!"

The small boy screamed, realizing it was the body of his old mentor he had stumbled over. Falling onto his knees, Gohan raised his ki, so he could see and praying that Piccolo was alive. If Piccolo died…so did Kami-sama and so did the Dragonballs! Not Piccolo! Piccolo was too strong to die! He couldn't die! Gohan shook the warrior, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Piccolo! Piccolo! Wake up! Get up! Get up! We have to go find the others…get up!" Gohan's vision blurred with his tears "Please…"

He got no reply and he couldn't feel a speck of Piccolo's ki. He wanted to believe that he just wasn't feeling it because his emotions were clouding his concentration but he knew better than that. He'd seen Piccolo die before and this form was just the same as he'd seen two years ago, when he was just four. Tears erupted from the boy's eyes and he screamed out at the sky,  
"IIE!"

Gohan buried his face into the warrior's chest, sobbing his eyes out. Piccolo's blood smeared on his face, turning it green. Shoulders shaking with both anger and sorrow, the youngest warrior finally forced himself to look up. Piccolo was gone which meant the Dragonballs were gone. That meant that whoever died, stayed dead. He still felt no ki whatsoever, despite how he concentrated. His eyes hardened with anger and worry. Piccolo was gone and who knew else had died while he'd been crying. He cared about the others, deeply but one name in particular made his heart freeze.

"Daddy."

He'd lost Piccolo; he wasn't losing his father too! Not again, never again!

Gohan took off in flight, scanning the ground for anyone. He spied someone down below and he dropped down, flexing his legs to reduce the impact. He ran over, feeling for a ki but finding none. Whatever poor soul he had stumbled upon was gone from this world. He ran over, his feet kicking up clouds of dust. Dropping to his knees, he closed his eyes tightly, "Tien…"

The three eyed warrior's neck was twisted at an impossible angle and blood pooled around him. It was staining the knees of the boy's gi. Gohan blinked tears from his eyes and scanned the horizon for Chaozu. He was never far from Tien. Gohan left the warrior where he was and wandered in the adjacent area, searching for the small fighter, hoping to pick up on his ki.

It was an empty hope. He found Chaozu, or rather what remained of him. He found him all over, in pieces. Hardly any of him was recognizable. Someone had blown him apart, literally. The boy fell onto his knees as he felt what meal he had had earlier decide to come up in the opposite way it was meant to. He grasped the ground for support and threw up, tears spilling down his cheeks in rapid floods.

The feeling passed, Gohan squeezed his eyes shut, stumbling to his feet. His knees felt like jelly. He wanted to go find his father and forget these horrors. He wanted to wake up and discover that no one was dead, everyone was fine and that he and his father were just sparring as they always did. He wanted to wake up and find himself being carried to bed by his father. He wanted-

"Buck up, Gohan!" he hissed at himself. "Wishing isn't helping!"

He forced himself forward again, searching for any survivors. He had to keep his ki as low as he could though. Last thing he needed was an Android sneaking up behind him. If they had fallen Piccolo, he would be a lost cause if they attacked him when he was alone. He half charged up his hands, so that he could unleash an attack immediately if he had to. Not that it looked like it would do much good.

Gohan passed over a dead Yamcha as he flew. He didn't need to go down to confirm it. He could tell simply by the ocean of blood he was lying in and the way his body lay. The torso looked like it had been snapped in two…yes, at closer glance, he confirmed that belief. He was nearly divided in two and he would have been making some type of movement or noise had he been alive. His spine was severed, his heart exposed, he was gone. The boy squeezed his eyes tightly shut, so tight he saw white spots. "Only two left…"

"Daddy! Krillin!"

Wait! Was that…yes! A faint ki, very faint but there….

Gohan flew over at top speed and landed, panting as he ran towards the ki, praying it to stay strong until they could get to Korin's and get some senzu beans. They were out. They should have brought more. They'd brought too few. They'd underestimated these blasted androids! If…if….if they'd brought just a HANDFUL more, just a HANDFUL…

"KRILLIN!" Gohan tore to one of his father's oldest friends and now, Krillin had become like an uncle to him. He was Krillin's "little buddy," as the warrior affectionately called him. Krillin couldn't die on him! No! He'd seen him die on Namek and it had almost broken him. In a way, he still blamed himself for it because he had been the one protesting leaving the most. If they'd just left when he'd said to…

Gohan pushed that out of his mind and knelt by Krillin, taking in his injuries. Blood was gushing from a gaping hole in his chest. Gohan pressed both his hands against it, getting fresh blood all over his hands but at the moment he really didn't care. If he could slow the blood flow, just a little, maybe he could buy Krillin enough time for them to get to Korin's. If it helped enough, then…

Krillin put one of his hands on Gohan's and shook his head. "Not gonna….do…any good….little buddy."

"Don't say that! If we can get you to Korin's then-"

Krillin coughed up blood and shook his head again "Too much…damage, kiddo."

"No! Don't say that! Don't!"

Krillin coughed up another wad of blood and told him with what little strength he had left "We're not strong enough kiddo, run."

"No! Krillin, you're gonna be okay…you're gonna live…"

He got a sad smile and then nothing. Krillin's ki fell and then vanished. Eyes clouded and then went dark as the human warrior slumped and then laid still as ice. Gohan's hands shook as he pulled them away from the human's chest, coated with blood. Tears made their way down his cheeks and again and he grabbed Krillin by the shoulders "No, don't you dare die! You get up! Get up!" Gohan lifted his head up, anger erupting from his throat with a fierce shout. "NO!"

His shoulders slumped, tears trailing down his face again. He would no doubt have laid down and just wept if his ears hadn't caught the far off scream of pain. He lifted his head, some black hairs trailing into his plane of vision. Blinking tears away, he stood up, knees shaking. "Daddy.." He forced the emotion out of his mind, focusing instead on the last survivor, not to mention the one nearest to his heart. Powering up, he took off and over the landscape, sobbing through clenched teeth, "Don't die Daddy, please don't die."

His father's screams got more intense as Gohan got closer. He could smell the blood before he got there but he couldn't see anything! He couldn't feel any ki except his father's failing one. He pushed himself beyond his limit, ignoring how it made his lungs ache. His reward for his pressing was seeing his father on the ground, weakened. He couldn't even hold Super Saiyan anymore.

"DADDY!"

Goku looked up "Gohan, stay back."

"But-"

"I said stay back!"

Gohan froze. His father was gushing blood but that wasn't what Gohan's eyes focused on. His father's hand was clasped over his chest, digging into the gi. Gohan blinked and then gasped in realization. Tears welled in his eyes and he saw the shadows of two adversaries overhead. Gohan darted down, regardless of his father's commands and grabbed his father's arm "Daddy! The heart virus! Now? Here?!"

"G…go, Gohan. Run."

"No! I'm not leaving you to die Daddy!"

"GOHAN! I said-ARGG!" Goku stopped in mid sentence, falling onto his back, clutching his heart.

"DADDY!" Gohan flung himself on top of his father. "Daddy, hang on, we'll get home. The medicine's there. You'll be okay, promise."

"You mean this medicine?"

Gohan looked upward. He couldn't see the Androids' faces but he could make out their forms. One was certainly feminine and the other masculine. The first came down slightly, the voice oozing with contempt and evil. In its hand, it cradled the bottle of medicine that Goku's life depended on. Gohan stood up, powering up, "You coward! You won't even fight him at full power! You have to…" Gohan slurred off a series of words that Goku would have washed his mouth out for had he not been lying on a battlefield.

The form just laughed, lit their hand up and the medicine disintegrated in their hand. Tears filled Gohan's eyes and his father's screams of pain turned those cries to cries of fury. He powered up, that hidden power inside of him being triggered by his anger. Anger at these two, angry at nature for this damn virus, angry at the world.

"Yer gonna pay for that!"

He shot up from the ground, anger burning in his dark black eyes. He swung out at the first Android but they were like lightning! He couldn't feel a ki at all and every time he thought he saw them, he found their foot or fist pounding on him in some way. He tried to fight back but it was like fighting an army. It didn't take long before he went sprawling onto the earth, bleeding out his mouth.

"Gohan, go…"

The child forced himself to his hands and knees and crawled over to his father. "No, Daddy, don't die. You can beat this! You can beat anything."

Goku hissed through clenched teeth, "Son Gohan I said go!" Gohan shook his head, clinging to his father's arm tightly, as if his little grip would somehow help fight the internal enemy that was attacking his parent. He buried his face into his father's gi, sobbing. No, Daddy couldn't die. He couldn't be brought back, even with the Namekian Dragonballs. This was considered "natural." No, he couldn't live without Daddy!

"No, no, no! Don't die, Daddy! Please don't DIIIIIIIIIE!"

Goku's ki faltered a moment, fading. His eyes clouded, closed and then his groaning and grunts stopped. Gohan's face paled. "Daddy?" He put his hands on his father's chest, shaking him by the shoulders a little. Goku's chest didn't rise and he just flopped in his son's arms. "DADDY!" Tears fell again, silently. "DADDY! GET UP! PLEASE GET UP! DON'T LET THE VIRUS WIN! PLEASE DADDY! WAKE UP!"

Gohan's last remaining will passed away and he fell atop his father, shaking with tears and cries. No, it wasn't fair. Not Daddy too! Not Daddy too! They had the antidote. They had it! It could have saved Daddy! Why? Why did Daddy have to die? Why hadn't he been able to get those pills from the Androids? Why had he let his father die?

Liquid pooled through his fingers. He looked down and screamed.

His father turned to blood under his fingers, seeping into the ground. Gohan screamed and looked up. The Androids themselves turned red and fell to the ground as red rain. Gohan scooted backwards, trying to get away, having never felt so alone or frightened in his life. What was going on? He stood, his arms going into guard position almost immediately. He shook like a leaf, looking about, and sweat was gathering on his brow. The ground shifted under his feet. Looking down, the brown and black soil shifted, turning dark red and starting to bubble. The smell of blood reached the boy's nose.

"NO!"

He sank to his waist in the liquid, struggling to pull himself out, only looking around to find there was no land whatsoever. Everything had fallen into this…this lake of blood. Gohan screeched as something dry and rigid and strong snagged his leg. Gurgling, he got a mouthful of blood and looked down. He screeched. The white skeleton of Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, Chaozu, Piccolo, and then…the one grasping his ankle…his father's…were giving him a dark evil look, tugging him under. "You let us die…"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! DADDY!!"


	2. Chapter II: Daddy's Hands

**Chapter II**

ChiChi gave her husband a lustful look. He'd been gone a year. As much as she shouted and ranted, she had honestly missed him and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made him blink at her. She gave him a youthful smirk, the same type she had given him years ago, before Gohan had been born. Goku gave her a childish grin and moved over to her, putting his hands on each side of her, returning her heartfelt kisses.

His wife rolled over, darting away from him playfully. Goku gave her a playful smile and pounced after her. She dodged, making him chase her a little bit. He'd made her wait a good year! She could return the favor! Besides, they hadn't romped like this in years, since before Gohan had been born. Goku finally grabbed ChiChi around the waist, throwing her back onto the bed, on her back.

ChiChi laughed, just a soft girlish laugh and stripped her nightgown off, throwing it onto the floor. She laid backwards, giving her mate a "come and get it" grin. Goku smiled at her less than subtle hints and was more than ready to take her up on that offer. He didn't remember the last time he'd been able to do this with her, given all the battles. It seemed like he got it less and less with the enemies. He usually didn't miss it but every so often he did. He was more than ready for another go-

"DADDY!"

Uh, strike that thought.

ChiChi exhaled through her teeth as Goku let out a sigh of disappointment; both their faces falling and Goku's shoulders slumped. One thing both he and ChiChi had learned from a long time ago was that Gohan never called for ChiChi and never accepted ChiChi. Even when Goku had been gone, Gohan wouldn't be comforted by ChiChi, much as she would try. He was a Daddy's boy and only wanted Daddy.

And right now, he definitely wanted Daddy.

"Duty calls, Goku."

Goku winced at his mate "Uh, sorry. Let's try for this later, okay?"

ChiChi flopped back on the bed, nodding.

Goku sat up, pulled his boxers on and ran out of the room like it was on fire. He felt his son's ki now and it was panicked, powered up and scared to death. He pushed open the door to his son's room and his sharp senses immediately took in an array of smells, one of which was sweat and the other urine. That scared him. Gohan hadn't wet the bed in several years, not since he was three.

Gohan was twisted in his sheets, having ripped them off the bed when he fell. That's where he was now, on the floor, tangled in the coils of blankets. He threw his arms out, screeching "NO! NO!" His ki raised and his hands lit up with energy, moving to a familiar pose, the manseko that Piccolo had taught him. Goku cursed and ran over to his son as the boy let out a blast, all the while screaming "NO! NO! NO!"

"YII!" Goku ducked under the blast and it made a crash as it went through the boy's window, shattering the glass but thankfully nothing else. Goku darted over, hoping to wake the little boy up from whatever nightmare had him in its grasp before he let another ki blast out. Or, more importantly, before the boy hurt himself with the way he was exerting himself! Whether it was from fear or a mix of fear and the energy needed to fire a blast he didn't know but he did know that his son's breathing was much shorter and panicked than he liked to hear.

"Gohan! Gohan!" Falling onto his knees by his son, Goku shook the boy but got no response aside from a louder scream. He pulled the wet blankets off his son and cradled him like a baby; ignoring the fact the boy was sopping wet, and he stood, rubbing his back. "Gohan, it's okay. It's okay. Daddy's got you." Gohan's cries turned softer but he dug his hands into his father's bare chest. Goku ignored it and let him, more intent on getting him calm than anything else. He put one of his hands on his son's head, gently ruffling his black hair.

Gohan recognized the familiar ki, the smell and the comforting motions. He blinked, opened his eyes and looked around, almost fast enough to get whiplash. He shook like nothing else, sweat pouring off his face, his breaths coming in fast and frequent gasps. He jumped when he felt a gentle touch on his hair. Looking up, pure relief and then fear spread over his face

"DADDY!"

Gohan locked his arms around his father's neck, wrapped his legs around his father's waist and sobbed into his shoulder. "DADDY!" Goku shifted his arms to support the boy's weight and stroked his black hair, rubbing his back with his other hand. Gohan sobbed, tears flowing down his face. He buried his face, leaving wet stains on his father's shoulder. "DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!"

Goku cradled the boy's head, still rubbing his hair. "Hey, hey. It's okay, little man. You're okay. It was just a dream."

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy…" was all the boy would say. He didn't make any reaction or comment on the dream. He just cried. He refused to slacken his grip on Goku's neck and Goku swore if the boy squeezed any harder, he'd had trouble breathing. It worried him. His son had had nightmares before but never something this intense. Gohan was soaked to the bone, partially sweat and partially urine. That didn't bother Goku at all but it worried him. Goku couldn't remember even one nightmare before that had made the boy sweat, nor one that made him wet his pants, let alone one that did both!

Gohan's sobs didn't stop and all he did was lay his head against Goku's shoulder, shaking. His screaming had stopped but that was about the only improvement that Goku saw. The boy just kept pressing his face into his chest, over and over again. His crying had slowed but not stopped. In fact, Goku was starting to worry the poor boy was going to make himself sick if he kept this crying up! Gohan hadn't cried like this since he was four, before his interest in martial arts perked up. After that, the boy had found his joy, in the same art that gave Goku such pleasure, martial arts, and his crying had been toned down a ton. However, given the boy's young age, tears weren't a rarity. Yet in such great gushes it was cause for alarm.

"Little man, don't worry, Daddy's right here. You're okay." Gohan sniffed, which resorted in a snort from him. He rubbed at his eyes with his fist, in a vain attempt to stop the tears. He tried to think of all the other challenges he had conquered in an attempt to still the cries but it did no good. This enemy scared him far worse than Freeza, Radditz or any other enemy ever could. This enemy wasn't a physical form he could fight. It was a biological opponent, one he couldn't fire a blast against. His nose ran and before long, the crying was enough to give him hiccups.

"Gohan, calm down. Daddy's right here."

Goku looked around and finally sat down in the boy's desk chair, tilting the legs back just enough to give it a slight rocking motion. He pulled Gohan close to his chest "Shh, shh. Gohan, you're safe. You're alright. Daddy's got you, little man." Gohan couldn't calm down, much as he tried. All he kept thinking about was that his father was going to die but he didn't say that. All Goku got from him verbally was "Daddy" and all he sensed from his ki was fear, regret and such intense sadness it was baffling.

Goku thought a moment, considering what to do. He wanted to get the boy calmed down before he even attempted to get him cleaned up. He wanted some answers! He laid his head against his son's forehead and said gently, "Gohan, calm down. I don't want you gettin' sick, Little Man." Thinking for a moment, he came to a possible answer and then stripped the boy's pajama bottoms and underwear off. Standing up, he started to pace with his son, patting his backside gently as he'd done when the boy was a baby and toddler.

It still worked like magic. The boy's sobs stopped and he laid against his father's chest like a leech. Goku smiled at him, stroking his hair. He cradled the boy and then walked down the hall; stopping briefly at his bedroom door "Hey ChiChi, can you change Gohan's bed sheets for me?" he didn't wait for a reply and carried his baby boy out to their outdoor bath. He filled it quickly, still holding to Gohan with one arm. Heating it up with a small ki blast to light the fire underneath, he stripped his own boxers off and took Gohan's remaining clothes off and jumped in.

The little boy clung to his father with a hard grip. Goku foamed some soap up on a cloth and gently rubbed the boy's arms, then his torso. Gohan laid against Goku's chest, laying his head between his father's breasts, over his heart. Gohan closed his eyes, taking comfort in the steady throbbing of his father's heartbeat. His father's strong arms tightened around his back, scrubbing down his skin.

Goku splashed water up on the boy's back, washing the soap off and asked gently, "Gohan, you wanna tell Daddy about it?"

Tears slipped out of the boy's eyes. Goku gently stroked his face with the cloth. Gohan didn't move his cheek from his father's chest but he did answer softly "I wanna forget it…"

"Try talking to Daddy, Gohan." Goku scrubbed the boy's arms down and his chest a little, pulling him away from his chest just for a moment and cradled him like an infant, supporting his neck and upper back against his forearm. Gohan looked up at his father, tears in his eyes. He rubbed at his eyes with a balled fist. Goku pushed the boy against his chest and scrubbed at the boy's lower back and backside. Gohan savored being pressed close to his father and clung to him with a tighter grip. Goku bit his lip and instead of using the cloth to wash the soap off, he wet his own hand and just rubbed it off that way, using the motions to comfort the boy.

Gohan laid still but he took a breath and started talking. But his voice broke and cracked so often that he wound up repeating a lot of what he said. Goku kept silent until the boy finished. Gohan took a shuddery breath and whimpered "I don't want you to die, Daddy! Not again!" Goku wrapped his arms around his son's shoulders and spoke in his gentle voice.

"Gohan, it's alright. Daddy's here. Daddy's fine. The others are fine."

"But…but…"

"But nothing. Nobody's dead. I promise. Don't you believe me?"

"But what if…"

"Gohan, look at me."

The boy looked up.

"Do you trust Daddy?"

"'Course I do."

"Then trust me when I say everything's gonna be okay. Can you trust me on that?"

"…I guess."

Goku smiled and pulled the boy close to his chest. "Trust me son. We'll beat this enemy."

Gohan laid still, closed his eyes and buried his face into Goku's chest. "Just don't die…"

Goku stood up, getting out of the bath. He pulled his boxers back on and wrapped his son in towel, like he was swaddling a newborn. He walked back inside, looked around the room. ChiChi had replaced the sheets like he'd asked. Rather than put the frightened boy down, Goku walked back to he and his mate's bedroom. ChiChi scooted over and Goku laid down, the wrapped boy still curled close to his chest. Cradled that way in his father's arms, sleep finally found Gohan and he slipped into dreams.


	3. Chapter III: Picking It Apart

**Chapter III**

A gentle sloshing sound emitted from the mug as a tired Bulma poured some coffee in the early morning hours. Vegeta had woken her up early, by the outrageous blasts and yelling out in the gravity capsule. At first, it hadn't been so bad but after about an hour, she'd been awakened with a "Fix this, Woman!" or "This isn't what I asked for Woman!" After the third time, she gave up on sleep.

Looking at the clock, she groaned. It was only four in the morning! This was way too early for anyone to be up, least of all her. She sat down in a chair, rubbing her forehead. Her blue hair frizzed out, evidence that she had not been up very long and that she probably wasn't feeling like being up right now. She took a sip of the brown drink, blessing the founder of caffeine.

"Hey Bulma!" A hand tugged on her nightgown sleeve.

Bulma choked, dropped the mug so it shattered and fell out of the chair.

Gohan blinked at her and offered her a hand up, "Sorry, did I spook you?"

"Yes!" Bulma was cranky but once she glanced on the boy's face, she had to smile. Bright dark eyes gazed down at her, mature warrior and innocent child embodied in the same form. Gohan was still in his pajamas and he was a cutie in them! His black hair was starting to go wild like his father's and right now it looked like he'd gotten caught in a tornado. He had on green and white checkered pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt. He hadn't bothered to put any of his shoes on, despite the fact his feet had to be cold.

"Sorry Bulma, didn't mean to. Wanted to come see you and I saw you were awake."

"More or less….kiddo, do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, it's early."

"More like too early. Did you ask your parents if you could come over here?"

"I left them a note."

Bulma regarded him with an odd look. It was out of Gohan's character to just take off without telling his parents verbally. Besides that, Goku was pretty stern on the boy getting enough sleep, because of the harsh training they did. Goku was pretty lenient on most things but eating a complete meal and getting enough sleep were two things he usually didn't cave in on. Bulma gave Gohan a peculiar look as she got out a broom to sweep up the coffee mug shards. "Kiddo, when did you go to bed last night?"

"Daddy puts me to bed at eight."

"So you only got eight hours of sleep." The scientist mused as she swept up the ceramic pieces. Gohan got a mop out and helped her to mop up the coffee stains from the tile. The boy certainly looked tired. His eyes were blood shot and he had developed dark circles under his eyes, something Bulma was almost certain Goku would notice. Probably one reason he neglected to tell his parents he was leaving so early.

"Nope, I got six. I woke up at two, tried to fall back asleep but couldn't so I got dressed, left them the note and headed over here."

"Then you need to go home and go back to bed."

"Wouldn't do me any good Bulma. I can't sleep."

"Why don't you tell your father? I know he'd sit with you or something until you fell asleep."

"I already wake Mother and Daddy up enough with my stupid dreams." He mused, head down. "I don't wanna wake Daddy up again."

"Gohan, he doesn't care. Heck, he'd probably be more upset you weren't telling him when you're scared."

The demi-Saiyan changed the subject. "I wanted to talk to you about the heart virus."

Bulma blinked, her eyes bulging. Oh, she knew the heart virus. Everyone was on edge about it. Fear struck Bulma's heart. She got down on her knees and put her hands on Gohan's shoulders. "Your Daddy didn't catch it, did he?" Her eyes watered a little bit. "Has he caught it already? You guys have the medicine, right?"

"No, Bulma. Daddy hasn't gotten it yet."

Bulma let out a sigh of relief and stood up. "Good. So…what about the virus?"

"Can you use the antidote to find out anything about it?"

Bulma cocked her head at the boy.

Gohan pulled a single pill from his pajama's front pocket. He handed it to her. "I just borrowed one because I figured if you could figure out the make up of the antidote, maybe you could figure out something about the illness. Maybe then, we could make a vaccine or something. That way, Daddy'll never even have to catch it at all. Can you try, Bulma?"

Bulma studied the purple colored pill a moment. Why hadn't she thought of that? The elements of a disease would obviously be revealed in any cure for it, at least to some degree. Whether or not enough would be revealed to make a vaccine was yet to be seen but there was a pretty good chance for that. In any event, it might at least give them some insight to the type of mutation that had created the virus.

"I'll try kiddo."

"I'm gonna help!" Gohan started to run up to her lab but Bulma grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back. Gohan looked at her, confused and baffled. The human scientist picked him up under her arm like a sack of flour and dropped him on his backside in a kitchen chair. Gohan looked up at her and she walked over to her kitchen cabinets, scrounging through them.

"First off, kiddo, breakfast! Even a genius needs fuel!"

Gohan grinned, widely. As worried as he was, he was also starving! "Sounds good to me! What are we having?"

Bulma looked at Gohan, smiling. She thought of the half-human brood as her little nephew. He had figured that out too. She knew he had. Every time that boy really wanted something, she wasn't Bulma, she was "Auntie" Bulma. He used the same trick on Krillin. If he really wanted or needed something, be it something material or just something abstract like some time, he'd charm his way with "Unca" Krillin. Unlike her however, Krillin gave in a whole lot easier.

Still, as the human scientist regarded her truest friend's son, she was taken in by his bright shining eyes. She gave him a bright smile in retaliation. "Well, what do you want, kiddo? You know my kitchen is yours." Gohan gave her a "sure you wanna say that" grin that was indistinguishable from his father's. Bulma ruffled his black hair and started to pull supplies out onto the counter. Gohan watched her, standing on his tiptoes. He could have flown up but his father and mother had established a firm "no flying indoors" rule. Bulma handed the boy a bowl and pushed a chair up so he could reach the counter. He climbed up. Handing the boy a bowl and spoon, she took a rubber band out of the drawer and pulled the boy's shoulder length hair out of his face, binding it in a low ponytail that trailed down his back a little.

Pouring a little flour, then water into the bowl, she set out eggs and other ingredients out for the child. "You know how to make pancakes?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah! Daddy can't cook much but he can cook breakfast! And fish."

Bulma got a brief image of Goku in an apron and laughed silently. "I didn't think your father could cook much other than fish, squirt."

Dark and blazing eyes met her eyes and she was met with a boy's hissing, "Don't talk about Daddy that way! Daddy's not dumb! I'm sick of everyone acting like he is! He's not! Daddy's brave, Daddy's loyal! He's-"

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, Gohan!" Bulma held her hands up, palms open. "I didn't mean it that way."

Gohan blinked "No?"

"No, kiddo. Honest. I just had an interesting picture in my head of your father in an apron like I always see your mother in."

Gohan had to laugh at that but not for the reason Bulma had. "Daddy's done that."

Bulma chuckled at that image and then said, "So, you know how to make pancakes then?"

Gohan cracked two eggs together but with his Saiyan strength that completely crumbled in his hands. He winced and looked at her "Uh, yeah…honest."

Bulma just left the mop by the side of the wall. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

_OOO_

Getting up slowly so not to disturb his mate, Goku padded down the hall towards his son's room. He pushed the door open slowly, hoping he didn't wake the boy up. He liked to walk in sometimes and just watch Gohan sleep. He didn't do it every night but every so often he would. He always waited until early morning. Those were the times when his son would wind up in the oddest positions. One time, Goku had walked in to find the boy had somehow managed to get all his clothes ripped off, so he walked in to see a tailed behind sticking out of the covers because the boy had turned horizontal across the bed. He chuckled lightly at the memory.

Glancing around the room a little bit, he blinked, surprised. His son's ki wasn't anywhere nearby. He searched the boy's room to see if his senses were just off but they weren't. The room was empty. He looked around, checking even in the bathroom but he wasn't there. He ran out of the room and downstairs, thinking maybe the boy was in the kitchen again. Gohan had gotten into a habit lately of wanting to cook for his parents. ChiChi was more annoyed by it mainly because it made her kitchen a mess. Goku loved it though. The boy wasn't a very good cook; he combined things he suspected were not meant to be combined. Heck, Goku had wound up in bed with a stomachache from one of the mixtures which was saying something, given his iron clad stomach but he was flattered by it. However, the boy wasn't there either.

"Gohan?"

Goku looked outside, trying to see if the boy had gone outside to play. He doubted he had given the fact that Gohan never left to go play without breakfast. Goku had pounded that into his head. If he was playing outside and he hadn't eaten yet, Goku was going to have something to say about that. Goku didn't like to be the bad guy and a lot of the time he saw his son's actions as harmless childish mischief but there were a few things he would be rough on and that was one of them. Luckily, his son wasn't there but that brought him back to square one.

Wandering into the kitchen again, he finally saw the note thrown on the table. Goku wasn't completely uneducated. He could read, although he couldn't read at the same level as ChiChi or the others, but he could read basic vocabulary and that included his son's handwriting. At least the boy had thought to leave a note. That was just like his son though. That would be his responsible side.

Reading through his son's note quickly, Goku breathed a sigh of relief. He was at Bulma's. But he was disturbed. It just wasn't like Gohan to take off somewhere without telling him. Oh, he'd take off without telling ChiChi all the time but never without telling him. He cleared everything with his father. Their close bond made sure of that. The boy wasn't perfect, not by any means, but he was a pretty obedient little boy. Goku'd had to scold him a handful of times, he could count the number of times he sent him to the corner on one hand and he only remembered swatting him once. Goku liked it that way but because of that, it bothered him that the boy hadn't told him he was leaving. What was up?

Goku concentrated, drawing upon his new ability to instant transmit and willed himself to the kis that were gathered at Bulma's. Popping in, he found the lower floors abandoned but the remains of Gohan's handiwork was decorating the kitchen counters, floor, walls and ceiling. Goku still hadn't figured out how his son managed to get it on the ceiling. It was one of the mysteries that he supposed had to do with being a child.

He headed upstairs, his sharp Saiyan ears catching his son's distinct voice and Bulma's.He followed it, all the way up to Bulma's lab. As he entered, he heard his son declare

"I KNEW it! I knew it wasn't natural!"

"Knew what wasn't natural, little man?"

Gohan fell off his stool and turned. "Daddy! When'd you get here?"

"Just dropped in. You didn't tell me you were coming here, little man. Why not?"

"Sorry. I just…really wanted to do it real quick and I didn't wanna wake you or Mother up."

Goku looked at his son. "So you were up a while before us."

"Yeah…"

"How much sleep did you get, Gohan?"

Gohan winced "Not a lot but Bulma and I just figured something out about that heart virus Daddy!"

Goku's brows went up and he looked at Bulma. She rubbed her eyes and nodded, turning about. "It's not natural, Goku."

"Huh?"

"It's manmade Daddy!"

"Man made?"

"Yes." Bulma confirmed. "I can't even begin to figure out how they did it but it's a nasty one from what this antidote tells me. Looks like it was created simply to kill you Goku. Any guesses on its creator?"

Goku narrowed his eyes. "Gero."

"Right on the first try."


	4. Chapter IV: Tired and Scared

**Chapter IV**

"So how does this alter things?"

Everyone was silent and morbid. The room was still as death and the gathered Z Fighters could feel the gravity of the situation. Krillin stood silent, head down, always by Goku. Piccolo was leaning against the wall, face as still and emotionless as ever. Tien, Chaozu and Yamcha weren't panicking but their faces certainly displayed a great deal of distress. Vegeta kept his same cold look.

Gohan sat on the floor, his head pressed against his father' leg. Goku looked down at his son, smiled gently and stroked the boy's black hair. Gohan seemed content where he was and relaxed. He kept quiet. Bulma looked at him, half smiling. He never turned to look at her and Bulma pushed a stray hair behind the boy's ear before turning to the group of warriors eyeing her.

"To be honest, I don't know how this will alter things-"

"Then why did you bother me Woman?" Vegeta growled at her.

Krillin glared at the Saiyan Prince "will you let her finish?"

"Thank you Krillin." Bulma remarked. "Now, if you'll just chill for five minutes Vegeta, you can go back to that little den that's your gravity room, okay?"

Vegeta snorted.

"Now, as I was saying before I was so VERY rudely interrupted was that I honestly don't know. The good news is that I can at least attempt to make a vaccine for this thing…" she eyed Goku. "But it's not very likely. That sickness is tricky."

Gohan bit his lip "But…Bulma, you're the smartest person in the world! Can't you figure out this thing?"

Bulma smiled "I'm flattered you think that kiddo but this Gero was smart too. Maybe too smart."

"Bulma, you gotta do SOMETHING! Don't let my Daddy die!"

Goku put his hand on his son's head, gently ruffling his hair. Gohan looked up at him, his eyes widened. Goku smiled and stroked the boy's cheek a little. "Relax, little man. We have the medication, remember?"

"But what if it doesn't work! What if time shifted and the virus is worse? Besides, Trunks said the one in his time was natural! Already that's different!"

Goku picked his son up, lifting him off the ground. Setting the boy in his lap, he looked him in the eyes, "Hey, hey, calm down little man. Panicking isn't going to help anything either. Just calm down and let Bulma finish, okay?"

Vegeta snorted "You're half Saiyan brat. Act it. Don't disgrace my bloodline."

Goku gave Vegeta a dark glare. "Shut up, Vegeta."

"The brat is being a sniveling coward. Do you really expect him to make any difference?"

"He's frightened and I don't blame him."

"A true Saiyan warrior is never afraid."

"Then a true Saiyan warrior doesn't have much sense."

"WHAT! Are you disgracing your own bloodline Kakkarot?"

"Might be my blood but it's not my race."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me. My blood may be Saiyan but I'm one hundred percent earthling. So is my son. And he's my son, not yours. When you have a son, you can raise him how you choose. But Gohan's my son and I say it's perfectly fine for him to be afraid." Goku looked his son right in the face. "I mean that, little man. You can be afraid. You can cry. Go ahead."

Gohan buried his face into his father's chest and tears slipped out of his eyes. "I don't want you to die, Daddy."

Goku stroked through his son's silky black hair. He couldn't very well say that he wasn't going to die because he didn't know that. He hoped he didn't. In fact, he couldn't think of anything more terrible at the present moment than never seeing his little boy grow up. Gohan hadn't lost his first baby tooth yet. He hadn't become a teenager, hadn't gotten his first kiss. Heck, the poor boy hadn't really lived yet. The boy lived for martial arts; Goku saw it in his eyes. But ChiChi was so against it. He kept trying to convince her otherwise. His son should be what he wanted to be, not what his mother wanted him to be. Looking down at the little boy curled on his lap, he set his mind to the idea of fixing the pressure she put on his only child. Gohan was his pride and joy.

Bulma waited for the moment to pass before saying "Now, I can try to make a vaccine Goku but I'll need some of your blood."

Goku looked up at her and realization flashed in his eyes. "NO NEEDLES!"

That said, he was gone in a flash of light, his son with him.

_OOO_

"Let's take a break, Gohan."

Gohan landed, having been training the last few hours with his father. He playfully poked the bandage on his father's arm, which was wrapped around the crook of his elbow. "Your arm still hurt where Bulma poked it?" How the scientist had managed to do it, Gohan had yet to figure out but she had managed to get a small vial of blood from his father to test and then to create a possible vaccine with.

Goku ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a playful swat to the backside. "Imp."

"Hey! Daddy, that's private property back there!"

"Not so private to me kiddo. First off, it wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for me. You didn't fall out of the sky you know." Goku gave him a teasing grin. "Besides, Little Man, who do you think wiped and powdered that thing?"

"Daddy!"

"What?" came the playful response.

Gohan, in retaliation, stuck his tongue out at his father and darted under his father's playful swat. Goku took off after his son, purposely letting him take the lead for a bit. He popped out and then reappeared right in his son's path, snagging him off the ground by his leg and mercilessly started tickling him. Gohan kicked and squirmed, calling "Cheater!"

Goku flipped the boy upside down, caught him around the waist and attacked his belly pitilessly, knowing it to be his big ticklish spot. Gohan got that from him; he was very ticklish on his belly and the bottoms of his feet as was his son. "Oh, I'm a cheater, am I, little man?" He increased the speed of his attacks on the boy's stomach and Gohan laughed, throwing his head back.

"Yes, you cheat! I can't pop out like that!"

"Not yet anyway, little man."

"Will you teach me, Daddy?"

"I don't know," Goku teased, gently. "Are you gonna be a good boy if I teach you? Not gonna pop out on me if I have to smack that backside, are you?"

"Daddy, you've only done that once."

"And I hated doing it."

"_You_ hated it? You weren't the one getting the sting in your butt."

Goku laughed and gave the boy a playful whap "Like that?"

"Daddy, stop that!"

Goku flipped the boy right side up again. "I'm serious though, Gohan. If I teach you that Instant Transmission, you're not going to abuse it, are you? You abused the blasts."

"Only once." Gohan replied honestly. "You made sure of that."

Goku nodded. He remembered that clearly. While he wanted Gohan to enjoy the training and have fun, which he always did, he also wanted the child to understand that training was not a toy, nor something to be taken lightly. He had caught the boy just playing with the blasts as if they were harmless balls or Frisbees. He'd swatted the boy for the first time in his life for that, about six harsh smacks to his backside. Although he knew it had to be done for something so serious, he'd hated doing it. He'd despised the entire deal. It had become harder when Gohan had burst out in tears. Goku never wanted to have to do that again. Although ChiChi told him that it defeated the purpose when he cuddled the boy afterwards, Goku did that every time he had to punish his son, be it a spanking like that one time, a time out or simply a scolding. He wanted the boy to understand that although he had chosen the wrong actions, he was still loved.

And to be quite honest, after he had to punish his son, he always wanted to cuddle with him anyway.

"I won't abuse it, Daddy. I promise."

Goku smiled at his son and the little boy added "On my honor."

"All right. I believe you kiddo. I'll start teaching you that later today."

"Why not now?"

"Cause you need to go take a rest for a bit or you're gonna shred your muscles."

"Rest?" Gohan couldn't believe this! The Androids could be coming in only a few years and his father wanted him to go sleep when he could be training? When he could be getting stronger? No! He wasn't stronger enough to help much on Namek and he wasn't going to let that happen again! Never again! It hurt his heart just thinking of it. "No Daddy! I have to train more. I can go longer, I can!"

Goku picked the boy up, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "No, kiddo. I know you want to but you need to rest for an hour or so. Just to give your muscles a breather."

"Are you gonna tell the Androids that when the battle drags on?" The boy snapped. He didn't mean to be so rude and curt but he was afraid and when he got afraid, he wanted to do something about it. He could do something about this, he could train. "Daddy, let me down! Let me train! Let me down!" He kicked his legs and squirmed, trying to break out of his father's grip, the entire while demanding to be place down. In all senses of the word, the boy was throwing a tantrum. Not surprising…warrior or not, he was six years old.

However, Goku was not amused. He gave the boy a cold and disappointed look from the corner of his eye. It was enough to make Gohan at least stop his kicking. He knew that look. He didn't get it a lot but he did get it sometimes. That was Daddy's "I-don't-like-this-attitude" look. Gohan got it every so often and every single time he got a lecture of some sort.

Goku walked into the boy's bedroom, pulling the boy's desk chair out as he walked. He set it facing the corner and then set his son down in it. "You sit there for a few minutes and think, Son Gohan."

Oh no, here came the guilt trip. Goku didn't leave the room but he didn't say anything. He winced though as he felt the guilt start in his son's ki. He wanted to go over and pick the boy up and say that it was okay but he couldn't do that yet. In a moment, yes but not right now. Oy, he _hated_ this part of being a father. He _hated_ being the bad guy.

Now that he was forced to be still and think, realization sank into Gohan's mind. Some warrior he had just looked like. He'd pitched a fit like a little baby. He lowered his head, looking at his hands. Daddy must be so ashamed, he thought. I want to become the best fighter I can and I acted like that. I bet that looks _real_ good.

Goku looked at the clock, saw six minutes had gone by and walked over, pulling the chair around.

"Are you ready to talk to me, Gohan?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy…"

Goku's slow smile spread over his face. 'I know, I know you are little man."

"I acted like…like…"

"Like a child, Gohan." Goku smiled. "You're still a child; you still have a lot to learn and that's why Daddy's here. To help you. Now tell me, what did I not like about how you just acted?"

"I was disrespectful. You and Mr. Piccolo are my trainers and the trainer knows when it's time to stop and rest."

"That's right. How are you supposed to treat your trainers?"

"With 'spect," he slurred one finger in his mouth. "I'm sorry."

"I know. Next time I say go rest, what are you going to do?"

"go rest."

"Good boy." Goku stroked the boy's tear stained cheeks. "I forgive you little man. C'mere."

Gohan jumped into his father's arms, burying his face. "I'm sorry Daddy. I want to do so much. I want to help…"

"And you will, little man. You're going to make a difference, I feel it."

Gohan laid still, tears in his eyes. How could he make a difference when all he felt was tired and scared?


	5. Chapter V: Let Me Take His Place Somehow

**Chapter V**

Gohan stuck his head into his father's room, having just gotten out of his evening bath. Goku had gone to lie down, because apparently he'd overdone it during training. Gohan was beginning to see why his father had made him rest the other day. Goku hadn't moved for an hour and he still looked like he was in pain. Gohan took on a pitying look and padded into his parents' room.

Yep, Daddy was out cold, or trying to be anyway. He was lying still, trying to ignore his throbbing muscles no doubt. The pain radiated through his ki though. Gohan could feel it. It made Gohan wince. He hated to see his father in pain, no matter how minor. Mother didn't help any. She used this as even more of a reason he shouldn't train at all. Gohan sighed deeply. Why did Mother hate who he was at heart? Did she love him at all or just love who she wanted him to be? The boy didn't have an honest answer.

In any event, she could have at least helped Daddy but she told him it was his fault for being so obsessed with the martial arts. Goku could have taken a senzu but he had wisely decided that they should save as many as they could for the battle forthcoming. Mother wouldn't even give him a warm cloth or anything. She said he should stick it out.

Gohan pouted. ChiChi could be so cold at points. The boy hated it when she had to give him a bath, as she had to that night. Mother turned everything into a study session, even a bath. She would use the time to quiz him on aspects they were using like volume in the shampoo and soap and how much soap would be needed to make so many bubbles. It made his head hurt.

Daddy…he was fun! He would usually get in the bath with Gohan, or if he didn't then he would make it a big game. Several times, Goku had used sponges ChiChi thought were silly because they were shaped like animals, and pretend that Gohan was being attacked and would use the sponges to "eat" his son up; in the process he would be washing him down, saying the suds were their venom. Gohan usually did an elaborate death scene which resulted in him falling backwards into the water which washed the soap off. ChiChi always complained it took forever to give the boy a bath and Goku always remarked "Really? Takes me ten minutes."

Gohan looked at his father, lying on the bed. He looked miserable. Gohan thought back to his own pains and aches. Daddy had always been there. If he overstressed his body in training, Daddy always had the perfect cure for it. Gohan actually looked forward to getting stressed or strained during training because it always meant Daddy's "special treatment."

_Flashback_

"Ow, ow…"

Someone pulled the pencil from Gohan's hands and lifted him out of his seat by underneath his arms. He turned his head and immediately regretted it. His neck ached, his arms and legs ached, parts he wasn't even aware he had ached. It was from training before. He suspected he had pushed himself too far or else hadn't stretched out enough. It was probably both he concluded in retrospect.

"What is it Daddy?"

"Put that pencil down and go lie on your bed."

Gohan got up immediately. He headed that way when Goku remarked as he walked out of the room "Oh and strip yourself down first, Little Man. Daddy'll be right back."

Now that got Gohan's attention. He eyed his father's retreating back oddly but one thing he'd learned about his father was to never question him or try and understand him because it just made your head hurt. He'd heard Bulma and Krillin comment that he was just as bad as his father at times. Gohan took it as a compliment. He loved being compared to Daddy. It was the highest praise anyone could give him.

The boy winced and stripped his study clothes off, tossing the overalls and yellow and blue striped shirt into the dirty clothes hamper and sat on his bed, stripping his socks off. Tossing those in with the rest of clothing, he was left in only his underwear so he laid down on his bed as his father had asked him to do, waiting. He didn't hear the door open but he smelt a sweet aroma. It smelt like a combination of rain and leaves or something. He couldn't place it though.

Goku sat a small bowl on the boy's nightstand and gently grasped hold of the boy's underwear and stripped it off. He dipped his hands into the hot liquid and gently wiped it over his son's bare back, arms, legs, backside and even to the bottoms of his feet. The heated liquid was a mix of water and scented oils. Goku dug his large hands into his son's muscles and skin, gently urging the aches and pains out.

Gohan let out a light sigh of pure relief. Goku smiled and moved his hands up to the very back of his son's neck and gently dug in his large thumbs, forcing the knots from his son's muscles. Gohan laid his cheek into the pillow, just taking deep breath after deep breath, savoring the warm oils, the sweet smell, and the comforting motions of his father's large hands. Amazing…Goku's hands could deliver a fatal blast at any second to any enemy, they could crush rocks without a second thought, they had crushed Frieza, they had held Raditz tight, they had stopped Mirai Trunks' sword with a single finger yet now, they were gentle as silk. They would never hurt. Even when they had given him a smack a few days before, they hadn't really hurt. They had stung but despite that, Gohan had felt love in the touches. He had felt it, despite the sting. When he had turned around, he had found tears in his father's own eyes, tears of regret that he had had to do such a thing to his son. Daddy would never hurt him, there was always love in his hands, his actions, his words.

"That's it, little man. Just relax, let yourself enjoy this. Don't worry about your studies. Just let your mind drift."

Gohan let his mind wander. He thought back. His thoughts were forever on his father. He remembered many things. The love his father poured on him most of all. Sometimes after training, Gohan would lay down in the clovers and pretend to fall asleep just so his father would pick him up and carry him home. He loved it when his father did that. Even if he wasn't tired at all, he would fake sleep to get scooped up into his father's strong arms.

He remembered being scooped up and getting placed on his father's shoulders and galloped around the forest and front yard. He never worried about falling. He knew his father would never drop him. He knew his father would never let him get hurt. He feared nothing with his father. Even on Namek against Frieza, he had felt no doubt, no fear when his father had appeared. He had feared for his father not himself. He knew he was forever safe as long as Daddy was near.

Goku smiled down at his son as the boy's breathing turned heavy. He sat down on the boy's bed and for a good hour just stroked the boy's long black hair backwards, looking down with a loving smile and pride filled eyes. He gazed over his son, his little baby boy. As much as he had grown, he would forever be a baby to Goku. "Sleep, my little man. Daddy'll be here when you wake up."

_Present_

Gohan made his decision. He darted into his parents' bathroom and climbed up onto their counter. He turned the large sink on, filling the basin with warm water. He stuck his bare feet into it and then started to root through his parents' cabinets, seeking the same oils his father had used on him. His mother had a lot of oils so he had to sort through the girly flowery ones before he found the one he wanted.

Pulling his feet out of the water, he dumped the oil all over his feet, rubbing it in-between his toes even. He turned the water off and jumped down, walking back to his father. Pulling himself up onto his parents' large bed, he walked over, gathered his balance and gently stepped up onto his father's back. His little hands would do nothing for his father's aches. However, he reasoned perhaps his feet would have a type of impact. The little boy held his hands out to balance himself an padded back and forth over his father's bare back, digging his heels and soles into the skin, penetrating the knotted muscles.

Goku half stirred after an hour or so, feeling the cramps in his back start to loosen. Confused, the Saiyan opened one eye and found his son running up and down his back. "Gohan?"

"Daddy! You okay?"

"What are you doing?"

"Thought I'd try and help you…does it hurt?"

Goku smiled "no…no, little man. It feels great." Great? That was an understatement. Those tiny little feet felt wonderful over his aching muscles. The perfect massage. Leave it to his son to think of something so clever and sweet all in one. Gohan increased the speed and the little pitter patter of his feet worked their magic. Goku closed his eyes and called "Say, little man, think you could do my neck?"

"Your neck? 'Kay!" Gohan sat down, using his father's backside for a seat and put the heels of his feet to the back of his father's neck and rotated them. "Daddy! Your neck feels like rocks!" Goku chuckled a little and Gohan increased the speed of his movements which slowly but assuredly released the tension. Gohan moved from his neck to his shoulders and before long the gentleness and relaxation of the room passed to even Gohan.

When ChiChi walked in later to go to bed herself, she found her husband out cold, face down in the pillow. Gohan was passed out on top of him, his little thighs draped over his father's shoulders and his face pressed into his father's backside. The human woman covered his mouth to suppress her laugh. Walking over, she went to moved her son and took note of a bulge in the boy's pajama bottoms. She grabbed hold of the seam and ripped just slightly. Her suspicions were right: the boy's tail had regrown. The brown snake like appendage twisted out and wrapped around his father's forehead.

ChiChi opted to leave her husband and son as they were and took her own side of the bed.

_OOO_

Gohan sat up like lighting. He looked around, his arms up.

He was in his parents' room, in between the two. Both were still out cold. He trembled, shaking with relief. Just another dream. He was getting pretty sick of these stupid dreams. Every night they got worse. Daddy always died because he was defenseless to do anything. That _couldn't_ happen! What if…what if Bulma couldn't find a vaccine? She hadn't sounded very confident.

And that aside, the history Trunks had predicted had already changed. Already, the virus was different…

WAIT! Didn't that mean the medicine would be ineffective! He had brought that up but the others had dismissed it but now that was a very real fear! If it didn't work, then…then, Daddy _would_ die! No! He couldn't handle that. He couldn't! Gohan jumped down out of bed and pulled out some books Bulma had given Goku and ChiChi on Gero, all she knew. Gohan flipped through them.

Not much was known. Bulma had said no one even knew where his lab was although she did know it was supposed to be somewhere in the mountains. If only they knew where. Then, maybe just maybe, they would be able to do something. They couldn't use the Dragonballs. They might be needed for something more vital. Gohan squeezed his eyes shut. Tears in his eyes, he looked over at his father, sleeping.

Daddy was so sweet, so good to him. He had risked so much for him, so much to keep him safe.

_Somewhere in the mountains…_

Gohan's eyes narrowed in the same look his father had, the same loyalty burning in his eyes.

"Daddy it's time I returned the favor."

The boy crept over, looked back at his father once and took his power pole from its holder and took off out the door and into the sky, heading towards the mountains, his ki repressed.

_OOO_

What Gohan had originally planned on being a few hours long search had turned into a three day ordeal. He knew his father would be looking for him and was probably gathering the rest of the warriors to do so as well. It made him wince, knowing his father would be frantic and probably panicking but he had to do this. He had covered a lot of land already. He had to be closer.

Gohan had opened his ki slightly so he could sense any nearby kis. He didn't know what Gero's ki felt like but he knew that it was highly unlikely anyone else would be out in THESE mountains. They were way too rugged for anyone to come to willingly. He couldn't fly very much to keep his ki down so his clothing was ripped and torn. He hadn't thought to change into his gi because he had taken off so fast so all he had on was his pajamas. They were practically ripped to shreds.

His feet hurt, being ripped and torn by jagged rocks. But he pressed onward.

Wait!

Was it…yes! A ki!

He took off in that direction, running.

Peering around a tree, he spied an old man in a small clearing amongst the scarce trees out here. He was old, ancient and there was a twisted smile on his face. He looked a little like the picture in Bulma's book, just older. Gohan fell to his hands and knees and slipped over the rocks and sticks. His knee made one break as he got a closer look…yes, this was definitely Gero.

The scientist turned, seeking out the sound. Someone was near. He stood up, having emerged to test his latest weapon, a super virus. Spies were near however. Who could have found him out here? No one knew where his lab was! No one! He fingered a few of the gadgets he had invented that lay on his wrists and hands.

Knowing he could keep himself hidden no longer, Gohan charged out, his hand lit up,

"LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!" he hissed impulsively, anger and fear taking over reason.

Gero eyed the child with a stoic face. Looking over his features, his brilliant if evil mind made the simple connection…the wild black hair, the build, the tail…but the form was slightly different…no, no doubt about it, he was looking at the offspring of his rival enemy, Son Goku. His spy robots had followed the warrior and he knew he had a child. And a rather protective and passionate one at that.

"Oh, and what do you intend to do about it, child?"

Gohan growled through his teeth "if it keeps you away from Daddy, I'll kill you." He raised the ki in his blast.

"That would be pointless."

"What?" Gohan's shock made him lose the ball of power.

"Surprising. You obviously know of me yet doubt my achievements. Do you really think death would stop my revenge, child? Did you really think I don't have another way of carrying it out? Killing me would achieve nothing."

Gohan's muscles tensed and he knew by the villain's eyes he spoke the truth. He knew that and that infuriated him! How could he fight an enemy that killing wouldn't fix the problem? He fought down tears of fear and he hissed "Leave my father alone! What do I have to do to make you leave him alone!"

Gero eyed him, "You care for him greatly."

"Leave him alone!" he kept the choke from his voice. This was not going as he had planned.

"I heard your demands the first time, child. Yet you've not offered an incentive."

Say what? What was this guy talking about? Gohan blinked and replied "Huh?"

"Why should I? I've already said you bringing about my death would be pointless in protecting your father. What else have you to offer?"

"Keep your damn virus away from my father!"

What! The child knew of his virus!

Gero smirked, keeping his surprise carefully hidden. The boy was ill experienced and full of an overwhelming loyalty. The crutch of weak men. He could exploit this to his advantage. "What makes you think I haven't already implanted it? Or that I have not already sent it on its way?"

Tears filled Gohan's eyes and being so young, he couldn't hold them back any longer. They slid down his cheeks, one at a time. He gave up trying to be brave and resorted to anything, even begging and pleading. . "Keep it away from him! Please! Don't let it near Daddy! Don't kill my father! I'll…I'll do anything to make you stop! You want vengeance? Take it out on me! You want to cause pain? Take it out on me! Anything! I'll… I'll…I'll…"

"You'll what?"

Panic set in and then a selfless act pushed its way to Gohan's lips and filled his heart.

Gohan met Gero with passionate eyes "I'll take it for him."


	6. Chapter VI: Anything to Save One

**Chapter VI**

This entirely baffled Gero. However, it was an intriguing situation. He had been reluctant to leave his lab but had decided he needed to test his virus as well as some of his modifications for Androids 18 and 17 on some of the earth before trying it out on those two. They were still in the major modification phase so he wasn't sure what such rampant amendments to human form would result in. Better to test it out first than give untested models potential deadly weapons.

Still, this was an entirely new game! He had always intended to send his virus out after Son Goku but with the appearance of his son, everything was changed. However, perhaps this was for the better advantage! His virus was still being prepared but it was more than deadly enough for a child; it was dangerous enough already for Son Goku. However, this boy could not have been more than six years old. It would kill him in under a week.

Yet, Gero wanted his vengeance on Son Goku. An evil smirk passed over his lips. What better way to do so than through the death of his son? One thing Gero had learned about the warrior by watching and from his own experience was that his heart was too large for its own good. He loved his friends like mad and from the love he saw in this boy's eyes, his love for his son was at least one thousand fold. Love…the downfall of the weak.

"I mean it!"

Gohan's harsh shouting snapped Gero from his thoughts.

"If you leave my Daddy alone, I'll take the virus for him."

"That is quite the bold statement."

Gohan knew it was. He said it without regret though. Without fear. He meant every single word he said. If it would keep Daddy safe, then Kami above, he'd do it! He didn't care what happened to him, so long as it kept his father safe! He would bleed for him, hurt for him….yes, he realized in his heart, he would even willingly die for him.

Gero considered this a time, watching the child shed tears before him. Oh, yes, this was the perfect payback, much worse than any hideous death would be for the warrior. Goku would plead for death by the time this was over. The evil doctor could hardly wait to watch the warrior find himself powerless to stop this deadly virus from snatching the life from his son right in front of his eyes.

Still, no point in not making the boy sweat a little.

"So, a child for a warrior?"

"Yes! I'll take it for him!"

Gero rubbed his chin a moment, stroking his beard. "Hmmm, the son of my enemy offers a life for a life?"

"Yes!"

"An intriguing proposal, child."

Gohan looked at the scientist, his breaths coming in quick gasps. He dug his nails into his palms so hard that they drew thin lines of blood. This was a desperate attempt, even a foolish one. Who was to say that Gero would keep his side of the bargain? After all, Dr. Gero was a bad guy. He was the enemy! If his father knew what he was doing….

Gohan didn't want to think about that.

"Accepted, child."

Gohan's head snapped up, "Huh?"

"You meant your proposal, did you not?"

"Every word…"

"Then follow me."

Gohan stared after the doctor as he started to walk off slowly. Why was Gero willingly letting him into his lab? Gohan would have thought the evil genius would want to keep that secret. Still, if he was serious, if he was truly genuine about this…then that meant Daddy was safe! Gohan put a hand to his heart and took a breath, "For you, Daddy…"

He trotted after Doctor Gero as he vanished into a dark cavern in the mountainside. The door was well camouflaged. Gohan doubted he ever would have found it. He found it a little uneasy that Gero had been outside. Had he caught the doctor right before he was going to give his father the virus? Had he truly cut it that close? It made him tremble a little.

That plus it was freezing in here.

The boy looked around but this room was practically empty. Gohan had to give the evil doctor credit. He used it for evil but if he had only turned his talents to good, oh the things he could accomplish! In fact, most of their enemies were like that! If only they had used their abilities for good and not evil! He sighed but he was brought back to the moment at hand by Gero's dark voice,

"Sit there."

Gohan looked around and found only a stone chair, or what served as a chair anyway. It was more like a bunch of broken stones. This room looked like it had been built first for the lab but for whatever reason hadn't worked out. There wasn't much in here and it was really cold and felt damp, no doubt with the rain water that soaked the mountains at different times of the year. It gave the room an eerie feeling.

Sticks and rocks crunched under Gero's boots as he walked over to the boy. Gohan looked down and saw the long needle the evil scientist carried in his hand. It was filled with a dark black liquid that seemed to bubble as if it was alive. Sweat built up in his palms at what he was doing because, loyal or not, he hated needles, same as his father did.

Gero had other thoughts distracting him. This virus was his brainchild. It had taken decades to create. It was a slow acting killer that would not end one's life easily nor swiftly, precisely the reason he had chosen it to be the cause of Goku's death. However, if he surrendered it to this child, he would have to depend upon his Androids to kill Goku. That meant he would have to improve Androids Eighteen and Seventeen immensely. Still, if Goku had remained as Gero remembered him, the death of his son would be a thousand times worse than his own death since he would powerless to stop it. Yes, there were worse fates than death and that would be Son Goku's awaiting destiny.

"Take your shirt off." He ordered shortly. "If you jerk it will pierce your heart so hold still."

Gohan stripped the remains of his pajama top off, throwing it to the ground. His muscles tensed as Gero uncapped the top of the needle and the sharp point shimmered in the light. Gero would hardly be gentle as Bulma was. Gohan looked down at his chest where Gero was going to place the needle and focused his mind, trying to take it off of the present situation by memories...

_Flashback_

_Three Years Ago…_

"Daddy! Me train too!"

Goku turned around, smiling at his three year old son trotting out from the front door. He had just woken up from nap so he was full of rambunctious energy. He toddled out and Goku smirked. His three year old had apparently decided that it wasn't worth asking Mother for help because the boy only had on his shirt. He was still in diapers so he ran out to his father in a short sleeved red shirt and his diaper. Goku had to laugh to himself at it. He dropped to his knees and grasped his son around the side and tossed him up, catching him,

"Oh, you wanna train with Daddy, do you?"

"Yay!"

"Well then let's go!" Goku tucked the boy under his arm and darted out to a clearing in the woods. Goku sat on his knees and playfully threw punches at his son. The boy dodged, darting to and fro, jumping around and behind his father and jumping on his back, wrapping his arms around his neck. Goku playfully fell backward, playing as if he were being strangled. Gohan loved it.

Goku fell completely backwards, snatching his son by the ankles and flipping him upwards so he didn't land on him. Falling back into the grass, he looked at his little son who he held upside down by one of his ankles. The boy laughed, his tail twitching happily. Goku tossed him upward and caught him before he hit the ground and then gently set him on his feet.

"You're good, little man. You've been watching Daddy, haven't you?"

Gohan grinned and nodded "'Cept Daddy uses big stick."

"Big stick?"

Gohan grasped hold of the stick on his father's back, "Oh, you mean Daddy's power pole."

"Yeah!"

Goku removed the red weapon smiled at his son. "You wanna use it for a bit?"

"REALLY, DADDY?"

"Sure. But make me a promise little man."

"What?"

"I want you to ask Daddy before you use it. It's Daddy's and I wanna watch you use it. I love seeing what my little man can do."

Gohan nodded "I ask Daddy, p'omise."

Goku ruffled the boy's black hair and extended the pole a little bit and handed it to his son. "Okay, lemme see what ya got, little man."

Gohan squealed in delight and immediately tried to imitate the move s his father was always doing. He watched his father train with the intensity that a hawk eyed a mouse in the field, waiting to see if it would emerge from its hole. The boy was fascinated by what his father did and it spurred a longing in his heart to do the same but the minute he'd told his mother, she'd pounded the books on him. It irritated him.

Goku sat back against a tree, watching his son take to the pole like a fish took to water. The boy had obviously been watching him; he could tell by the way he positioned his feet. The way those boy's eyes lit up made Goku grin. Regardless of what ChiChi had planned for the boy at birth, fate was taking its own way. There was the blood of a warrior in his son and no matter what, Goku made it a goal to feed it anyway he could get away with.

Gohan got the stick lodged under a root after a moment. Pouting, he put one foot on the root and wrapped both hands around the stick and tugged. His Half Saiyan strength snapped the root, the stick shot back, nailing him in the forehead. He fell onto his backside. Dropping the stick to the ground, he sat there, stunned a moment before his big eyes welled up and he burst out crying "OWIE!"

Goku ran to his son immediately and scooped him up, looking at him with deep loving eyes. "Oh, did you get an owie, little man?"

"Big owie!" he wailed. He clasped both hands over the swelling bump in the center of his forehead. "OWIE!"

Goku sat down in the grass, sat his son on his lap, and gently moved his hands "Let Daddy see."

Sniffling, Gohan lowered his hands. Goku took on an overly pitying look and cooed "Oh, my poor baby." He kissed the bump on his son's forehead, love in his gentle embrace. "Is that better, little man or do you want a Daddy Bandage?"

"DADDY BANDAGE!" he immediately responded, his eyes sparkling like diamonds. The unshed tears made him look all the more pitiful. Goku tossed him up and set him up on his shoulder. Bounding inside, he walked past ChiChi and the Ox King speaking in the kitchen. Gohan announced "I get a Daddy Bandage, Mother! Grandpa, I get a Daddy Bandage!" He and Goku vanished into the kitchen. The Ox King turned to his daughter.

"What's a "Daddy Bandage?"

Just then, Goku walked back out, his son sitting on his shoulders. The boy had a large bowl in his hands and he announced

"Ice C'weam!"

_Present_

Searing pain brought Gohan back to the present. Half opening his left eye, he looked down, seeing the black liquid slowly making its way down the syringe and deep into his chest. It burned! He'd never felt such a scalding burn! He felt like someone was pouring molten tar onto his heart. His hands began to twitch and shake with the introduction of the poison. He bit his lower lip so hard that his Saiyan fangs cut into the skin, making it gush out blood.

The liquid disappeared drop by drop until Gero pulled the empty needle away and threw it onto the ground where it shattered. Gohan's body shook with tremors a moment as his body was introduced to the new foreign substance. He half expected his heart to immediately be attacked but it wasn't. In fact, the pain faded and then vanished. However, he stumbled with nausea as he stood. Gero sneered.

"The virus will attack at its own will. Our agreement is sealed, child."

Gohan nodded, leaning against the wall for support "So….my Daddy's safe…?"

"From my virus. That was our agreement."

Gohan nodded; he knew to expect Gero to still sic the androids loose. Heck, he knew Gero had weapons on him, he wondered why the doctor hadn't shot him yet. Gero had no honor and here he was practically helpless from the virus' side effects of being injected. Why wasn't the scientist doing that? Why was he just letting him walk out? He could easily kill him right here, no problem and no witnesses.

Clutching his father's power pole, tucked into his arm's wrist band, the sole piece of his gi he'd remembered to wear and only because never took them off even when he slept, he tried to draw a small bit of strength from him, some remnant of his father's strength that might be embedded in it. Apparently, there was none because his vision turned blurry and he fell onto his knees, trying to use the pole for some type of support. Tears of pain filled his eyes. The evil doctor approached but the small six year old gave into the overwhelming pain before he arrived. Darkness took his mind and he collapsed.

Gero eyed the still child. Strong child, despite his original thoughts. Any other would have passed out while the virus was being given. Yet the child had hung in for several minutes. He was definitely his father's son. That gave Gero an even more satisfied smirk. All the more it would cut into Goku's heart to see his strong son fall to something he couldn't even fight.

Yet, he could kill the child here easily. It would be easier than the trouble to toss him out the elements. However, Gero found himself throwing the child over his shoulder. What good would it do to have Goku merely find his child slaughtered? That would hardly have the desired effect. Any enemy could do that. That was a swift pain. He wanted the warrior to feel such abiding pain and anguish that death would seem to be the easy way out. He would not have that pain if his son was merely killed here.

Gero walked into the woods, a ways away from his lab, purposely placing the child in an open area of mountain so he would be easily spotted. He threw the child down on the rocks and dirt as if he were a bag of salt. The unconscious youth didn't move, even as rocks cut into his skin. Small drops of blood spilled to the ground.

Gero turned on his heels, leaving the small one exposed to the heat and wild animals.

_OOO_

_  
_ "Krillin!"

The human warrior flew over to his old friend, biting down his own concern. It unnerved him to see Goku's face so pale with worry. It was a rare thing to see on the Saiyan fighter. However, Krillin suspected his own face looked similar. He'd been friends with Goku since he was a little boy and now that Goku had a little boy; Krillin looked upon the little one as a nephew. It worried him too.

"Anything, Krillin?"

The ex monk shook his head "Nothing, Goku. I can't even pick up his ki."

Goku bit his lip. They'd been searching every since Goku had awoken to find his son missing. ChiChi had immediately blamed him but hadn't rejected as he took off the find the boy. She chose to remain at home, should the boy return. Goku had immediately called upon Krillin with the news and when they hadn't located the boy within a few hours, they called in Tien, Yamcha and even Bulma. The female scientist was searching a helicopter and had promised Goku she was utilizing every available resource she had.

Goku didn't care. The fact remained his son was still gone, unfound.

It tore the Saiyan to pieces. Every moment the boy was gone from his arms, his mind conjured up horrible scenarios. What if he had fallen and broken a limb? What if he'd been attacked? Had he eaten? Was he sheltered from the elements? Was he crying for his father and he was unable to help? The not knowing killed him.

"Well, keep looking! Don't stop until he's back with me!"

Krillin nodded and tore off like a shot. Goku took off in the opposite direction. Goku hadn't slept in three days, nor had he eaten, a rarity for him. He didn't even notice the hunger for once. He could have cared less at the moment. Goku tore over forests, mountains and streams, scanning for his son with both his eyes and feeling for his ki. He tried to keep calm but with each shout of his son's name, he was fighting tears.

Wait!

A brief spark of ki, brought on by pain. He concentrated and vanished from where he was, focusing on that ki. He popped back in as the ki raised and now he recognized it…yes! It was his son's! Finally! But Gohan was hurt! If Goku had been moving fast before, he now excelled to a speed that was probably only rivaled by light itself. His eyes searched the ground and caught sight of a small red pole rolling across the dusty ground…his power pole.

Landing, he snatched it up, tucking it into his gi belt and ran the way it had rolled from. He found a gathering of vultures which he shouted at. Startled by his harsh voice, they scattered and where they had been pecking lay his son. He tore over, dropping to his knees by him, gathering him up into his arms. "Gohan! Gohan, it's Daddy, talk to me!"

Skin turned dark red by the raging sun, his son's clothes were all but gone. In fact, all the boy had left that was even semi intact was his underwear. Goku stripped his gi top off and wrapped it around his son as if he were an infant again. He supported the boy against his chest, taking a canteen of water from his gi. Unscrewing the top, he gently tilted it down his son's throat.

The cool water brought some realization back to Gohan as he felt his parched throat drenched. He ached like mad, enough he couldn't repress his ki anymore. He felt so tired though, although he burned all over. Still, someone was cradling him, someone was calling to him. Was it…Daddy? Yes, he recognized the voice now. Creaking his eyes, they half opened. He blinked, trying to clear his vision.

His father's tear spattered face greeted him. "Gohan!"

"Da..Dad…"

"Shh," Goku put a finger to his son's lips. "Just rest son, Daddy's got you." He pressed the boy into his chest, gently swaying him, "Daddy's got ya…."


	7. Chapter VII: Not Just A Bug

**Chapter VII**

"Ow! Auntie Bulma stop it!"

Bulma winced; why was it that Gohan only called her that when she was hurting him or when he wanted something? It made her feel even worse for making him hurt! Still, she was the only one that could really be trusted with him or Goku. Their Saiyan blood would have made any regular doctor freak out, not to mention they'd be too baffled to help much.

Sometimes she cursed her large brains.

"I know it hurts Gohan, I'm trying to be gentle."

"It hurts!"

Goku stroked his son's dark black hair, pushing it behind his ears. "I know, little man. Bulma's trying to be fast."

Bulma looked over the boy a little more and then stopped her poking and prodding, much to the little boy's relief. He gave her a half hearted glare and crawled into his father's lap, sticking out his lower lip at her in the typical child pout. It was a look Bulma got from both father and son. With Gohan, it was his way of saying "_You hurt and I'm gonna make you feel guilty until you give me a treat to make me forget how much you just hurt me_."

Bulma handed the boy a sucker which he took without a word and stuck into his mouth. He gave her a grin and slurring around the sucker said "T'ank 'ou." Bulma chuckled, smiling at his innocent face and the way he seemed to forget that less than five minutes ago he was furious at her for poking and prodding him. Shaking her head, she turned and made her report to Goku.

"Well, so far, all I really see is that he's sleep and food deprived. He needs a lot of fluids and needs to take it easy for a few days. He has pretty severe sunburn but knowing you Saiyans, it shouldn't be too bad and should go away on its own in a few days. But here's some lotion for it." She handed Goku a small bottle. "Just rub that on every time he says it hurts. But you can tell ChiChi that if she even thinks of trying to make him study for the next few days, she can expect a visit from a very miffed Auntie."

Gohan remarked around the sucker, "G'other 'd'ot yu'pid. Do 'ody 'ess d'ith 'ang'wy Dan'tie."

Bulma blinked and looked up at Goku who was laughing, "Uh, translation please."

Goku ruffled Gohan's hair. "He said 'Mother's not stupid. No one messes with angry Auntie."

"How did you possibly get that from that gibberish?"

"Simple. I speak and hear the language of Gohan-with-something-in-his-mouth every day."

Bulma smirked "Well, you're right kiddo. Your mother best remember that." She smiled at her little nephew, laughing at the sticky goo that had dripped down his chin, coated his face up to the temples and coated his hands which meant that now it was in his hair because he kept pushing his bangs out of his eyes. Chuckling, she looked at Goku. "Right now, I think it'd be best if you got him a cool bath. I'm going to make up some fruit smoothies downstairs if you two want some…"

"YES!" came at her in two identical booming voices. She smirked,

"Stupid question."

Goku scooped his son up and carried him into Bulma's connecting bathroom. He set him down on his feet and ran a cool bath, using some of Bulma's bubble bath, sure the genius wouldn't mind. Gohan stood patiently, looking himself over in the mirror. He looked like a lobster! His skin had turned a dark red from the sun. No wonder it burnt so.

"C'mon little man. I know you hurt."

Gohan turned and stripped his underwear off. He had a patch of lighter skin where his underwear had been so it looked like he had on swimming trunks or something to that effect. He pouted at the marking left on his skin but grasped hold of his father's arm to help him into the tub. The cool water felt like a healing ointment right at that moment.

"Feel good, little man?"

Gohan nodded, closing his eyes, just basking in the cool feeling. He loved the cool feeling. A soft wet cloth stroked over his arms and chest and although it did ache a little, he didn't say anything. He was too exhausted to. He tried to open his eyes to help but he couldn't convince himself it was worth the effort. He ached, both physically and mentally. He wanted to sleep.

Goku smiled at his son and drenched the boy's black hair. It fell plastered to the boy's neck and shoulders and Goku scrubbed his mane of hair down with soap. The boy's head bobbed and swayed but he didn't move or open his eyes. Goku chuckled and rinsed the boy's hair out before gently cleaning down his skin, being as sensitive of his burn as he could.

Bulma struck her head in and smiled. She left a tray of smoothies on the bedside table. Knowing all too well that only Goku could get the boy to sleep, she left the two alone. She knew that Goku would make the boy sleep. Besides that, the boy looked ready to pass out anyway, despite how he tried to hide it from her and his father. Gohan was many things but a good liar was not one of them.

Hearing the door close, Goku stroked his son's locks as he worked on getting the dirt and sweat off him. He Hated seeing his son wince but he also knew he needed to get any dirt, grass or anything else off him. Thank goodness neither he nor Gohan were modest. The boy didn't reject anything Goku did. If anything, he loved it. He laid back, loving the deep comforting motions of Goku's large hands on his neck.

"Gohan, what happened? One minute you're snoozing like a baby with your mother and me and the next thing I know, you're gone. Where did you vanish to for days? It's not like you to just take off." Gohan sighed and shrugged, not out of disrespect but his silent way of saying 'tell you later.' Goku eyed his son but he decided to address it later when his son didn't hurt as much.

"Can you stand up for me, Gohan? I need to get your tail."

The boy used his father's arms to push himself up. Goku smiled and drenched the boy's brown tail in suds, being as careful as he could be, knowing all too well that too harsh scrubbing would hurt more than anything he could imagine. Gohan had more willpower over the pain than most did but he knew it was still sensitive, especially once he got down to the skin. Gohan just laughed though, saying, "Daddy! You tickle!"

"Do I, little man?" Dipping the brown tail into the water to rinse off the soap, Goku scooped the boy up from the water and held him like a baby. He moved his fingers over his son's torso, getting under his arms and neck, which made the boy squeal. He kept this up for a while before inhaling deeply and blowing it out on the boy's belly.

Gohan yelped and laughed, throwing his head back. Goku did it again, half turning the boy over and doing the same on his sides and back. Gohan kicked his legs, laughing his head off. Goku loved hearing his laugh. He'd not heard it for three days and it felt like years. That aside, he also knew that the kid needed to rest and that him playing with him would wear him out.

Sure enough after about five or ten minutes, the already tired boy was slowing down. He still laughed but not as rapidly and not as hard. Goku wrapped him in a towel, scrubbing his hair, skin and tail down. The boy hair flared out a little and his brown tail puffed out like it had been struck by lightning. Goku laughed a little and Gohan twitched his tail, pouting. He put one balled fist to one of his eyes.

"Tired, little man?" Goku rubbed his red skin down with the lotion Bulma had given him before scooping him up again and handing him the smoothie Bulma had brought up. Gohan took it in both hands and slowly nursed it. Goku walked back out and sat down in one of the rocking chairs Bulma had thoughtfully placed in the room and gently swayed the boy back and forth. Having not bothered to dress the boy, he moved his fingers down and started to massage the base of the boy's tail.

Gohan only finished half the drink, a rarity for him, and his exhausted eyes slid shut.

_OOO_

"Gohan! Breakfast!"

Creaking his eyes open, Gohan glanced at his clock which read about eight o'clock which was a good hour later than he usually woke up. He sat up, looking around, surprised to find himself back in his bed at home. Daddy must have carried him back. He rubbed at one of his eyes, willing the sleep out of his eyes and trying to ignore the throbbing in his entire body.

"Hey son! How do you feel?"

Gohan forced a smile to his face, "Hi Daddy."

Goku walked in and sat on his son's bed. "You slept a while. Feel better?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Great! I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up. You slept a whole day and night!"

"I did?"

"Yep. Figured you needed it though. Bet yer hungry though, aren't you?"

The mere thought of food was almost enough to send the boy running to the bathroom but he grinned "Aren't I always?"

"Thought so! C'mon, I'll help you dress and then your Mother's got breakfast waiting for us."

Gohan smiled widely and stood up. He could dress himself for the most part but he still had a little trouble tying the sash on his gi and if he could wear his gi from morning until evening he would. Pulling on his slacks and shirt, he wrapped the sash around his waist and then pouted as he tried to tie it closed. Goku let him try himself for a bit until the boy gave his father an exasperated look.

"Want some help, little man?"

"Yes." He scowled as his father knelt down and tied it for him. "I still can't get it. I can tie it so it stays shut but it's in such a knot I can't get it out again."

Goku chuckled, "Aw, you're getting better little man. It'll come. Be patient."

Gohan nodded "I'm trying."

Goku took a brush from the boy's nightstand and just ran it through the boy's hair enough that it was halfway decent. "I know, little man and that's all you can do." He put the brush down and stood up, "You ready to go eat, little man?"

Gohan nodded and took hold of his father's hand, his little fingers barely going around Goku's thumb. They trotted down to the kitchen, Gohan taking three steps for each of his father's. An overwhelming aroma drifted out to them as they entered the kitchen. ChiChi had prepared a wondrous feast for them: pancakes, bacon, sausage, grits, toast with butter, eggs, fresh fruit, baked ham, and honey biscuits.

"It smells great, honey!" Goku promptly proceeded to slap a mini mountain of food on his plate and attack it as if it were going to get up and leave. ChiChi took a smaller portion for herself and Gohan took a mini version of his father's meal. But as his mother and father ate, Gohan picked at his food, pushing it around his plate to create the illusion of it being eaten.

This old trick does not work on any parent, least of all ChiChi.

"Gohan, what's the matter? I fixed all your favorites."

Gohan looked up, hoping he didn't look as horrible as he felt. He was sure at any moment that the smell of the food was going to send anything in his stomach in the opposite direction. He swallowed some milk but even that felt like he was swallowing nails. Hoping to appease his mother, he picked up a piece of buttered toast and nibbled the very edge of it. That was a lost cause and he put it down.

"Sorry Mother. It smells great but…" he rubbed the back of his neck "I guess I'm just not hungry."

There was a loud crash when ChiChi dropped her plate to the floor and Goku choked on his inhaled portion. Gohan looked at both his parents as they stared at him. Almost in unison, both adults inquired "You're not hungry?" ChiChi looked pale in the face and even Goku's face had an aura of concern all over it. He put his plate aside, a rarity and both he and ChiChi darted out of their chairs and to their son.

"No, I'm not…"

ChiChi slapped her hand against Gohan's left cheek and Goku's large hand went to his forehead. Both adults found their son's skin generating much more heat than they found comforting. ChiChi tore into the kitchen to get the thermometer and Goku lifted his son out of his chair and into his arms, looking into his eyes, "You don't feel good, little man?"

"I-"

"Goku, go get him in bed. I'll be right up."

Goku nodded, having already headed that way. Gohan hated making his parents worry but given the fact they already were, he decided to take advantage of the situation and lay his head on his father's shoulder. Goku gazed at his son, worried. Gohan had gotten sick before but he hadn't felt as hot as he did now nor had he really lost his appetite.

Lying the boy down in bed, Goku stripped him down to his underwear. Gohan laid back, grateful for the return to cool pillow and soft sheets. ChiChi darted in, thermometer in hand. Goku snatched it from her and slipped it under his son's tongue, stroking back the boy's black bangs. Gohan looked down his nose, trying to read the numbers but that was almost no good. He was too dizzy to.

"How high?"

ChiChi read over the numbers and winced "Thirty nine even."

"Is that bad?"

ChiChi replied, "Well, Goku, it's not deadly but our little boy definitely has a fever."

Goku got up and walked into the bathroom. ChiChi eyed him, wondering about her husband's actions. He was so clueless most times but it seemed that whenever Gohan was involved, his paternal instincts would kick in where his common knowledge ended. Sure enough, that was just what happened this time. Goku walked back in with a small bowl and wash cloth. He sat by his son's bed, drenched the cloth and stroked his son's forehead with it which made the little boy sigh in relief.

"You rest, little man."

"Daddy, I-"

"Shh, shh," Goku stroked through his son's hair. "Daddy's staying right here."

Gohan blinked. Goku had done that the last time he'd been sick. He had never moved from his side until he was better. Gohan was glad for it although ChiChi worried about it making the boy dependent on his presence. Goku had put his foot down on that, the one time he ever was truly defiant with his wife. Drenching the cloth again, he folded it in two and laid it on the boy's forehead. "Daddy's staying right here. Promise."

ChiChi watched this, half worried and half astounded. She loved the bond between her husband and child but at times like this, it made her envious. She had carried and delivered the boy yet when he was sick, Goku was the one he called for. Heck, every time the boy wanted one of his parents, it was never her. Still, she wouldn't stop herself from trying to figure out what was wrong with her baby boy.

"No appetite, high fever…Goku, he might have the flu."

Gohan closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by his father's gentle touch. A slight burning cut through his heart briefly. He trembled, tears behind his closed eyelids. _No, Mother, this is no flu bug…_


	8. Chapter VIII: Hardest Battle

**Chapter VIII**

"Gohan…"

The young boy stirred slightly and asked, through a scratchy and dry throat, "Daddy?"

"No. Daddy went to take a bath real quick." ChiChi smiled down at her son. "He'll be back in a few minutes. How are you feeling?"

"I…" Gohan sat up and ChiChi felt his forehead and then grabbed the thermometer from the boy's nightstand, where it sat next to a glass and pitcher of water. Gohan sighed. It seemed like every few hours either his father or his mother were retaking his temperature although Daddy was less annoying than ChiChi. Gohan had found that protesting was nearly pointless.

"Open up Gohan."

The boy opened his mouth and the metal stick slid under his tongue. He laid down against the pillow, wincing and slightly rubbing his torso. The burning came and went. His head ached and his appetite was still gone. That disturbed both of his parents but Goku more than ChiChi because he shared the same stomach as his son. Goku had never lost his appetite. Seeing his son lose it was disturbing.

ChiChi winced as she removed the thermometer. "Oh, Kami-sama, it went up again!"

Gohan eyed her and turned over in bed, just wanting to go back to sleep. It dulled the pain and guilt when he was asleep. He wanted to tell his parents more than anything but he was frightened to. Right now, he decided to wait until Goku came back and then ask to be cuddled. Goku always did that and maybe that would help him gather the courage to tell. He knew he needed to and soon.

He blinked and sat up when the door opened. His face fell when he saw it was just his mother though. However, she was carrying something that got his full attention. He eyed her cautiously as she set it down on his nightstand. She pulled out a metal spoon, one of their larger ones. She used it to spoon out helpings of food. She unscrewed the lid of a bottle and Gohan's dog like nose caught the foul smell of medicine.

Son Goku had his weakness of needles. Son Gohan had his of medicine.

"NO!"

Before ChiChi could even blink, her son had darted between her legs and out the door, down the hall. She picked up the bottle and tore after him, "Son Gohan! Get back here!" She could hardly keep her son in sight because he was so fast. He darted into the living room, jumped over the chair and then darted through and into the kitchen.

ChiChi jumped over the table, using some latent martial arts skills she still had and landed in front of her son. Gohan slid in a swift stop and took back the direction he'd come. ChiChi grabbed for his tail but he wrapped it around his waist and darted down the hall, tearing through their living room again, heading for the back door.

"Gohan, get back here now!"

"Nu uh! That stuff's poison!"

"It'll bring your fever down, now come back here. Son Gohan, don't make me tell you again!"

Normally, that would have brought Gohan running faster than any enemy could but ChiChi had MEDICINE! Not just medicine but children's medicine. He'd take adult medicine much easier than any kids'! Kids' medicine was death liquefied. Tastes like cherry? Maybe cherry that has been stomped, eaten and digested by a rabid cow but not any cherry he knew of. No way he was willingly gonna put that stuff into his body.

Turning around, he saw his mother gaining on him and gathered his ki, flying up into the corner of the room, well out of her reach, keeping his mouth covered and shouting "Nu uh!" She jumped up, reaching for him and he moved out of her range but the ex warrioress only followed, using furniture to propel herself although usually she would scream at Goku and him for doing that.

ChiChi got in a lucky shot and grasped her son around the tail. Gohan screeched and his ki plummeted, sending both him and ChiChi to the ground. He hated the weakness in that tail! The human woman recovered her wits and straddled her son, grasping him around the neck, "Son Gohan, I'll shove it down your throat if I have to." Gohan clamped his mouth tightly shut and whipped his tail over his mouth.

"Nu uh!"

ChiChi attempted to pry her son's mouth open but that wasn't working. For his small size and stature, Gohan was a remarkably strong boy. ChiChi couldn't even begin to get his mouth open but she kept trying. If they didn't get that fever down, Gohan would be in a great danger! He was already too warm for her liking. If his fever got too much higher…

"Gohan, open up!"

"ChiChi, what are you doing?"

The human woman looked up from her tackled upon position on her son. Goku stood in the doorway, his black hair still dripping wet. He had on some common clothes for once, not his gi. He wore them occasionally and considering he was expecting to spend the next few days by his son, it made sense. He'd donned some dark blue jeans and a black workout shirt, typical of his nature. Drying his hair in a towel, he walked inside.

Gohan broke ChiChi's grip and scrambled up Goku's front as if the Saiyan were a mountain. He perched himself on Goku's shoulders. "Daddy! Don't let her! She's trying to poison me!"

Goku looked at ChiChi and his keen nose caught scent of the medication, "UGH! ChiChi what is that?"

"His fever went up again, Goku!"

Goku looked up at Gohan and without moving Gohan from his shoulders; he put one of his hands against his son's forehead. Whistling through his teeth, he commented "You feel like you've been training nonstop kiddo. Why are you out of bed?" He eyed ChiChi, "And whatever that stuff is, was it worth body slamming him to the ground?"

"Goku, the boy's the same as you!"

"What's that mean?" he asked, completely clueless. ChiChi sighed, shaking her head.

"This is a fever reducer. It'll help bring down his fever."

"Daddy, don't let her! I don't wanna! That stuff's poison!" He buried his face into his father's damp hair, shaking his head. Goku looked upward and gently lifted Gohan down from his shoulder, moving him to rest on one of his hips. He smiled gently at his son's flushed red face, his sweaty hair and those pitiful and feverish eyes.

"Go back to bed for a bit, little man. Daddy's gonna bring you a treat in a few minutes, okay?"

"Treat?"

"Yep. But you have to be in bed for it."

Gohan jumped down and ran back to his room. ChiChi glared at her husband, disgusted by how easy getting that boy to do something was for him. He fought her tooth and nail. She snorted, almost like a pouting child, "I hate you."

Goku turned to ChiChi "How much of that stuff does he have to take?"

"One tablespoon."

"Lemme have it."

The human woman handed over the red bottle and the spoon and winced. Goku was headed for her kitchen and that was always trouble when Goku tried to cook something, no matter how small. He was the only man she knew that could blow up a stove while trying to heat water. Needless to say, she followed him and found him pulling out one of their blenders. This did not look good!

If Goku was aware of his wife's concerns, he ignored it. Tossing in strawberries, raspberries and a dash of sugar, Goku blended it up so they were halfway mixed together and then dumped one tablespoon of the medicine in and blended it the rest of the way. Pouring his concoction into an ice cold mug, he carried it up to his son and smiled as he entered.

"Here, little man. Drink up." Gohan grinned and took the mug from his father and without any type of fuss sipped the smoothie down. Daddy couldn't cook much but Goku had learned over the years with Gohan how to make a handful of sweets. Smoothies were Gohan's favorite. Not just because they tasted good but ever since Gohan could drink them, at about two years of age, Goku always told him that a cup of Daddy's love was always blended in with the fruits. Gohan swore he could always taste it although it was impossible to describe.

Licking his lips clean of any foam and fruit, Gohan handed the glass back, "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome. Now, I want you to get some rest, okay?"

Goku rose to take the glass back to the kitchen but Gohan grabbed hold of his jean pant leg with one of his small hands and tugged "Daddy?"

Goku turned back around, "Hmm? What is it, Gohan?"

Gohan looked down at his hands a moment and then held his arms up, stretching his fingers up towards his father. Goku smiled, gently and lifted his son up into his arms. He walked over and sat down in the boy's desk chair, drawing him up to his chest. Gohan curled his legs up, wrapping his tail around his father's left arm and laying his head against his father's chest. Goku swayed back and forth a little bit.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, little man?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure kiddo. What's on your mind?"

Gohan fingered his father's chest. "Will…will you always love me?"

"SON GOHAN!" Goku didn't mean to raise his voice but he was so stunned. "What kind of a question is that?"

Gohan shrugged, keeping his eyes down. Goku cupped his son's chin in one hand and gently lifted it. "Gohan, why do you ask?"

"I….I just needed to know."

Goku placed a gentle kiss on Gohan's forehead, hot as it was. Drawing away, he smiled "Does that answer your question, little man?"

Gohan fidgeted so Goku stroked his hair "Little man, you're everything to me. I dunno what I'd do without you. Heck, did you know I sometimes walk in and watch you sleep?"

"You do?"

"Yep. You'd be surprised the positions you get yourself into. I'm still trying to figure out how you manage to rip all your clothes off when you sleep!"

"I do that?"

"Sure do. I came in a few nights ago and there you were, butt naked on top of the sheets with that little bubble butt of yours sticking up in the air." He gave the boy's backside a playful pinch. He got a small half smile as his reward and Gohan lay against Goku's chest a little bit deeper. Goku stroked down his long black hair. It was getting pretty lengthy. He'd need a haircut before long.

Gohan savored his father's gentle touch and as he laid there, he stuck his left hand into his mouth, slurping on his four fingers, letting his thumb lay against his cheek. Goku smiled down at his son and kept his gentle swaying up, until he felt the boy's ki relax. He slowly shifted his arms, being careful not to wake up the slumbering child and gently laid him back in bed. Drawing the covers up to the boy's chin, he rubbed his head and walked out to return the used dishes to the kitchen.

_OOO_

Feeling a new ki in the room, Gohan was immediately on the defense. His muscles tensed, his eyes flew open and he sat up, swinging his fist, determined to fall whatever new threat had crept into his room while he was on the low guard. He had to defend himself! Dizzy as he was, he tried to strike out without too much concentration, knowing that if he focused too long while he was sitting up that he'd lose whatever food was in his belly.

"Whoa!" Krillin ducked under the boy's blow and caught his fist in his hand. "Calm down, little buddy. It's me."

Gohan's feverish eyes focused. His ki fell and his muscles loosened. Trembling, he drew his hand away. "S..sorry."

"Kinda jumpy, aren't you?" But the ex monk smiled. "How you feeling?"

Gohan flopped back down, relieved and enjoying the cool comfort of the pillow and sheets a little too much. He didn't wanna sleep again, not just yet at any event. He gave Krillin a half smile and remarked "Okay, I guess." Okay? That was the closest to a lie he could recall telling. The pain had gotten worse lately although it came in spurts.

"You guess?" Krillin put a hand against Gohan's forehead, brushing the child's black bangs out of his eyes. He whistled through his teeth. "You feel like you're on fire, kid."

"Feel like it too."

Krillin smirked, a small smile. "Well, I brought you a little something to cheer you up."

"Presents?"

"Yep." He pulled out a bag and Gohan politely reached in it but tried to hide the disappointment in his face. It was a book, another one. Not too surprising. Mother had started that requirement when he'd first started having birthday parties. Only books. Even his grandfather only brought books, afraid of ChiChi's reaction should he disobey. Gohan glanced around his room; he silently wished for just one toy.

Krillin chuckled, "You can't fool me kiddo. I know that look. The book was just to get past your mother. Open it to the middle."

Flipping through the book to the center, Gohan nearly squealed with delight when he realized the book was hollow! Sitting in the middle was a small red and green stuffed dragon, with a small collection of plastic warriors surrounding it, little action figures. Krillin had brought him toys! Actual toys! He grinned like a starving man might should they be presented with a feast. "THANKS!"

"No problem, little buddy, so long as you rest and get better."

Get better…they all wanted him to get better and this wasn't an illness he could get better from. He knew it wasn't. That made this even harder. His sweet nature added to the guilt. He had come to love Krillin deeply; Goku was first in his heart, then Piccolo and Krillin. He wasn't lying per say but he wasn't telling the whole truth either and that was just as bad. His eyes dropped to the bed.

"Gohan? What's the matter?"

He should tell, he needed to tell and he knew it.

"What are you hiding, Gohan?"

Gohan jerked his head up and Krillin gave him a critical look, one he'd gotten while on Namek a few times. It was the closest Gohan had gotten to a glare from Krillin. But in its own way, he hated that look. Krillin knew him pretty well, not nearly as well as Daddy or Piccolo but he knew him well enough. Bulma did too. Sometimes, it was a curse.

"I can read your ki, kid and it says you're hiding something."

"Ki don't talk," he commented, trying to divert attention without success.

"You know what I mean, Son Gohan."

Oy…full name; he hated that. He glanced up at Krillin who was looking at him sternly but not unkindly. He was more worried than anything. Gohan's conscience was doing an all out concert in his head. Screaming over and over that he knew he had to tell, that he knew it was right to tell and that he knew things would be for the best if he told.

"I'm not gonna get better Krillin."

"What? Sure you are kid. It's just a little bug-"

"No, no it isn't."

Krillin blinked, interested.

"It's a virus."

"Well, some sicknesses are by viruses kid and-"

"Not any virus Krillin."

"Huh?"

"The heart virus."

"WHAT? THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HIT YOUR FATHER!"

"Not anymore."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I took it Krillin."

"What?"

"You heard me. It's not gonna get a chance to hurt my Daddy."

"Son Gohan, what are you-"

"Gero and I…struck a deal."

"Say WHAT? You struck a deal with an enemy?"

"To save Daddy. A life for a life." He pulled the front of his gi top down. A small red rash had spread around the injection site. "One heart for another."

Krillin sat, silent, for about five minutes. Then he turned to Gohan. "Come here."

Gohan crawled over the bed for a minute. Krillin sat, as if contemplating and the next thing Gohan knew, he'd gotten smacked three times on the backside by the warrior's hand. Ow. Human or not, Krillin was no weakling. That stung. He opened his eyes, finding himself face down across the human's lap. That explained the stings in his backside. He blinked, trying to force the dizziness down. Krillin spoke but his voice was gentle.

"Gohan…you crazy nut. Do you know how dangerous that was? How dangerous it is? Gero's got no honor kiddo."

"Had to try, Krillin. If it does work, it's worth it."

Krillin sighed deeply and set Gohan back on the bed. He stood and walked to the door. Gohan stared after his back and swallowed "Krillin?"

Krillin didn't reply but yelled down the hall "Goku! Your kid had something _really_ important to tell you!"


	9. Chapter IX: Loyalty's DoubleEdged Sword

**Chapter IX**

Goku ran in, half expecting to see his son in a trembling fever or something. So, he was almost relieved to see his son sitting up in bed, on his knees. Krillin was standing next to him, looking concerned, worried and not just a little upset. Goku had seen that look on him before. He saw it rarely but he did see it. Krillin got that way when the seriousness of a battle came into play.

"What's up, Krillin?"

"Gohan here has something he _forgot_ to mention to you."

The boy shook his head "no, I don't…."

"Yes, you do unless you want me to tell him."

"Krillin-"

"Don't you give me that." He winced inwardly. "And don't try the look either; it's not workin' this time."

Goku scratched his head, baffled at Krillin's harsh tone. "Krillin, what's going on?"

Gohan lowered his head and Krillin just jerked his head towards the boy. Goku eyed his little boy and knelt to his level. "What is it, son?"

"You're gonna be mad, Daddy."

"Oh, am I?" Goku raised a brow, "Then you better tell me. I don't like being lied to, you know that."

"I didn't lie…exactly."

"Exactly?"

"Just didn't tell everything…"

"Gohan what do I call that?"

Gohan lowered his head "Lying by not telling."

"Do I like that any better?"

"No."

"That's right. Now, are you going to tell me or not, little man?"

"Am I in trouble?"

Goku winced; he hated that question. "I don't know yet. Depends on what it is." Honesty was always his best answer.

Gohan nodded and looked up at Krillin. Goku caught on and said gently "Krillin, can you give us a few minutes?"

"Sure Goku."

Goku waited until the door shut and then sat by his son on the bed and patted his lap "C'mere."

Gohan crawled over and sat, lying against his father's torso. Goku looked down at his son, stroking his hair back, "Now, you wanna tell me what this is about, little man?"

"Daddy, will you always love me?"

"Gohan, didn't we address this already?"

"You never really answered me though…I mean, I love the hugs and kisses and stuff but can…can you just tell me with words…make it nice and clear?"

"All right." Goku looked his son right in the face. "Son Gohan, I love you. You could do the most horrendous thing in the world, you could blow _up_ the world and Daddy would still love you." He smiled gently "Although I'd be pretty disappointed and you can bet I'd be dishing out some sort of punishment. But, in answer, little man, there's nothing you can do that would make me stop loving you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Gohan looked down at his fingers, twittering them. "I…I'm ready to tell you where I went for those three days."

"You are, huh?"

He nodded "Yeah…"

"Great!" Goku grinned; he knew if he waited patiently enough that Gohan would tell him. "Let's hear it, little man. You've had me and everyone else in suspense, you know."

Gohan swallowed "Daddy, you're going to be either mad or scared."

"Oh? Why don't you just tell me then?"

Gohan took a deep breath, "I was worried about that heart virus again. I know you say not to worry but I can't help it. I love you Daddy."

"I know you do, little man…"

"I know but I really need you to understand that. Cause of what I did…"

Goku smiled at his son, gently, "Gohan, you're talking and talking but you're not saying anything. Just spit it out."

"Okay…Icouldn'tstandtheideathatyouweregonnadieofthatheartvirussoistruckadealwithGeroandtookitforyousonowthisfeverisreallytheheartvirustryingtotakeshapeinmybodysowebettertellBulmabutpleasedon'tbemadatmeDaddyididitcauseiloveyou." He spat out in one breath.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Goku smiled at his son, "Say that again, little man…slow and in clear Japanese."

Gohan swallowed and repeated slower: "I said…I was really afraid you were gonna die from the heart virus so…so…so I…"

"Gohan, it's okay. You can tell me. You tell me everything."

"But yer gonna be mad…really mad."

"Then, you better tell me."

"I…" Gohan lowered his voice substantially. "I stuck a deal and took the heart virus for you." He whispered.

"Say what? I didn't catch that little man."

"I…I said…I struck a deal with Gero….and took it for you. I took the virus for you. That's why I'm sick."

Silence followed.

Gohan finally dared to look up and see his father's face.

A pinched white face greeted him, eyes wide with a mess of different emotions. He couldn't tell but he could see fear, sadness and anger in his father's eyes and he also felt disappointment and concern in his ki. Goku kept quiet and that was never a good thing. Goku usually made a reaction right away unless he had to calm down first and that usually meant big trouble for him.

"Da..daddy?"

"Gohan….how many times have I told you that Daddy has a plan and to trust it?"

"I-"

"And how many times have you been told never to face any enemy without some kind of backup?"

"Well, lots of times-"

"And what have I told you about an enemy's intentions?"

"That they're not honorable-"

"Did you remember or follow any of these, young man?"

Gohan visibly winced. Young man? Oh, he was in _deep_ trouble. Daddy never called him that. He'd called him that once, when he'd been playing with the blasts. Gohan's sharp mind began to see a pattern. He grasped hold of his backside and backed up. Goku stood, silent a moment. Tears were in his eyes. He hated doing this but this was the definition of dangerous! He had to make Gohan understand that…to make him understand that these battle rules were not negotiable.

"Gohan, can you walk?"

"…Sort of."

"How far?"

"A ways, I think."

"Then, get up and come with me."

Gohan stood, grasped hold of his father's elbow and paused a moment to gather his balance before following his father. As they walked, Gohan found his suspicions to be more and more correct. When he'd played with the blasts, Goku'd given him a single swat and then taken him to his grandfather's old hut to finish it. Goku had explained that as much as he hated doing that type of punishment, he wanted Gohan to know that he would never do it anywhere but there. He would never do it in his bedroom, outside, in front of others or anything like that. He said the point of the punishment was to drive home a point and make Gohan realize what he'd done wrong and why it was forbidden. It was a private matter between him and Goku. No one else needed to see or know about it.

Gohan froze in his steps when his father walked up to that old hut and backed up a little, holding his backside "No Daddy!"

"I'm afraid so, son."

"But you hurt!"

Goku turned around and his eyes were wet with tears. "Gohan, I hate doing this myself. You know how much it tears my heart to hear you cry?"

"Then don't do it!"

"I have to Gohan. I wouldn't be a good father if I didn't guide my boy down the right path, now would I?"

Gohan looked at his feet. "…no…"

"And you knew when you did that that I wouldn't approve of that, didn't you?"

"Yes…I did it cause I love you though."

"I know, I know." Goku's voice softened. "We'll talk about that in a minute." The Saiyan father sighed, "Gohan that was the most dangerous, reckless thing you could have done. Gero isn't trustworthy. You don't trust him with something like that. What if he'd given you a poison that would have killed you on the spot? Or knowing Gero, he could have used something he could track Gohan and it would lead him right to me and your mother. Did you think about that?"

"…No."

"We don't take risks like that Gohan. There's no way out if you get cornered. I always say to stay out of those situations, don't I?"

"Yes…"

"And did you?"

"No Daddy, I didn't."

"So, should Daddy just let you off scot free for not listening to battle instructions you've known since Piccolo started to train you?"

"No…"

"Do you see why Daddy has to do this, now?"

"Yes, I do…but…but…I did it to save you."

"I know Gohan. We'll talk about that when we go back in. Now come on." He opened the door and walked in. Gohan's legs felt like jelly. He knew his father wouldn't hurt him but he also knew the sting would be a ton worse than when Mother did it. Daddy had just used his hand last time and he had said afterwards that if he had to do that again, it'd be worse. He'd said he'd gone easy that time. Gohan winced, looked back at the house but walked in after his father.

The little hut didn't have much in it; Goku had small trunks in here that he said his grandfather had had. There were some old stools and chairs and a small mat and of course the little stand where Goku had kept the four star ball before he gave it to Gohan. Goku paused at one of the trunks, thinking. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and tears edged around his eyes. That always made Gohan both nervous and relieved at the same time. That meant Daddy had to do something he didn't like but it was also an inner comfort that Daddy didn't like it and would only give him as much as he felt he had to.

"Gohan, take your slacks down."

He didn't see that coming! "Daddy? You didn't make me do that last time!"

Goku sighed but didn't turn around. "I know I didn't son. I was being easy last time. I wish I could be that easy this time but this is far more serious. Now, please listen to me. I'd hate to have to do that myself."

Gohan swallowed but shakily took his pajama bottoms down. Did Daddy mean his underwear too? He'd just said his slacks…

Goku opened the trunk and dug through the various items in it. There was a mix of things his grandfather had had. Quite a few were old martial arts weapons he'd trained him with but there were also some "corrective" instruments in here. Goku knew this called for higher than his hand but he couldn't bare the thought of using a paddle or anything like that on his son. He went for the lowest he could. Still, his eyes brimmed with tears at the thought.

"Gohan, come over here so we can get this over with."

Gohan stepped out of his slacks and walked over. He gulped, seeing the sanded and stripped switch in his father's hand. Goku sat that down and knelt to his son's level, looking him right in the eyes. "Gohan, you understand why I have to do this don't you?"

"Yes, Daddy. I did something reckless when I should have thought it through and done something smarter…"

"Not smarter, Gohan. Better thought out. I know you thought you were doing the best thing."

Gohan nodded, his head down. "But I could have done something safer or called for backup or something."

"That's right." Goku sighed and a few tears streamed down his cheeks, "Gohan, you know I do this because I love you, right?"

Gohan nodded, "I know Daddy."

"All right." Goku stood and gestured the boy over. His grandfather used something for him to lean over but Goku didn't wanna do that. He pulled the boy by the hand and laid him over one of his thighs. Gohan grasped hold of his father's pant leg. Goku gently wrapped his other arm around the boy's waist so that he didn't fall. Gohan, wanting more than anything to get this over with, curled his tail out of the way. Goku praised him for it.

"Good boy." Biting down the tears in his own eyes, Goku picked the switch off the ground, adjusted his grip on it so that the blows would only sting and not leave a mark and then gave his son four harsh swats. Originally, he was going to give him one for every year of his age, six, but because Gohan was being so cooperative, he knocked two off. But his heart broke at the boy's pain filled shouts.

"OW! Daddy! Daddy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! STOP! STOP! PLEASE!"

Goku finished, set the switch back in the trunk, lifted the boy up and cradled him, stroking his backside, "Shh, shh, it's all over now."

Gohan buried his face into his father's chest, tears flowing down his cheeks and his tail unconsciously started to rub at his backside. Goku pushed the boy's tail away, pulled Gohan's underwear down so it bunched at his ankles and started to gently rub the boy's slightly pink backside, easing the sting out. Gohan's tail flexed a bit, taking this comfort in. Goku kept it up until the sting vanished completely. Gohan still sniffled a little but he didn't take his head off Goku's shoulder.

"I hated doing that, little man." Goku laid his head on Gohan's, letting his cheek rest on Gohan's forehead. "Daddy hates hearing his little man cry. It's all over now. Done and forgiven." Gohan nodded but just savored the sweet scent of his father. His heart was starting to throb again. He didn't want to mention that though. But while Goku may have been slow if not completely oblivious to some things, his son he was never out of touch with.

"You hurt, don't you, little man?"

He got a half nod in reply. Goku carried the boy outside and back in, just as he was, lying him down on his belly. Gohan sniffled and Goku started to rub and pat his back, to calm him down. He sat by the boy's side and spoke gently, "Little man, I'm flattered."

"Flattered?"

"Your loyalty…" Goku smiled at his little boy, looking so small and weak in those sheets. "Gohan, not many people would do what you did. I'm happy you love Daddy so much…although I wish you'd found another way to help." He immediately reached out and stroked the boy's bangs backward "But we already addressed that. You just rest, little man. Daddy's going to call Bulma."

"Don't tell Mother…"

Goku winced; he was going to have to. Still, he supposed he could tell her only snips and bits of the actual truth although he usually hated to leave stuff out because he thought that was just as bad as lying. He hated lying. He looked down at Gohan, ready to tell him those thoughts but then froze. His eyes softened as he looked at those pain filled feverish eyes blinking at him with remnants of tears flooding the pupils.

"I won't tell her kiddo."

_OOO_

"This is bad."

Goku did _not_ like hearing that from Bulma. Usually that female genius had an answer for everything. Hearing the words, "bad" from her was never a good thing but when it concerned the test results she'd just conducted on his only child, it made him even more nervous. He knew the heart virus was serious but Bulma had just done a comparison of the present cure she had and Gohan's blood.

"It won't work."

"What?"

"It won't. It's designed for an adult's physiology. Your son's physiology is different because he's a child. The cure we have is useless."

"No! I'm not going to let my Gohan die!"

"Goku! Calm down! And lower your voice. Do you really want your kid to wake up and hear you panicking?"

"Right…" he forced himself to take a few breaths and glanced into his son's open bedroom door. The boy stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up. He let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Bulma who already seemed to be conjuring up some kind of idea. That was Bulma for you though. Always thinking and never about to let something like this stop her.

"Well, it's a long shot but I can try and make a cure. Cures usually take years to make though. But…I can try." She looked at Goku. "For the meantime, there is one thing I can try for him." She handed Goku some bottles of dark blue liquid. "Those are every type of virus fighter we have. They won't cure his heart but…I _think_ they might buy us some time."

Goku's eyes lit up with a spark of hope. Bulma winced. She would hate to let him down now but inwardly, she knew that if Gohan died because she couldn't find a cure in time, it would kill her heart. Goku's distress would only aid to her own. She just prayed that she would be able to create such a miracle. They'd been granted miracles before. Perhaps they would be given yet another.

"Goku, I-"

She blinked, realizing the Saiyan had already gone into where his son slept. She followed but kept her distance by staying at the door. Goku didn't say anything but gently slipped his arms underneath his son's neck and legs and hoisted him up, as if he were a baby again. Cradling him close to his chest, he looked down at the boy's face, eyes closed in sleep.

Bulma eyed the boy too. He was always a cutie but seeing him asleep was something entirely different. His eyelashes were a dark coal color and he almost looked like a girl with such long lashes. They were the first thing she always noticed about him when he slept. He always looked so innocent then. Although, that was a trait both father and son shared.

Gohan waking up and grabbing his chest for about three minutes brought her back to the present situation. Luckily, this was not the heart virus hitting mfull force. It only lasted a few minutes before it faded and Goku eased him son back to sleep. Goku gave the boy one of the virus vials, to hopefully slow the spread of the virus down but he didn't lay the boy down. Bulma hoped those fighters at least bought them a week, if not longer. As much time as they could buy them, she hoped they did. Bulma stood and her eyes narrowed. Pulling out her cellular phone, she dialed her father.

"Daddy, we need to clear the lab. We have a cure to find and only a few days in which to do it."

"Bulma, dear, you know as well as I do that cures take years, if not decades."

"Well, then. We're setting a speed record."

Goku overheard Bulma's conversation given his sharp Saiyan hearing and it gave him hope. He knew Bulma's determined voice and she had never sounded more determined than she had then. If anyone could find a cure in under a week, it would be Bulma. As far fetched as it was, he seriously believed Bulma had the brains and stubborn streak to do it. He hoped so. He wanted to-

"Daddy!"

Goku looked down and his son hissed through his teeth so Goku started to rub his fingers down the boy's chest, between his breasts. It was an old massage his grandfather would use if he had heartburn, or sometimes just a stressed muscle in his chest. It worked wonders here. Gohan calmed down, and half closed his eyes again. Goku cradled him closer and kept it up.

"Daddy…fix…"

Those words were so heart wrenching because they were so familiar.

_Four Years Ago…_

"ChiChi! Gohan, I've got the firewood outside!"

Goku closed the door behind him and kicked his boots off, knowing his wife would be all over him if he trailed mud into the house. Last thing he wanted was that! Especially with the great meal he could smell cooking in the kitchen. He couldn't tell what it was yet but given that they'd just had lunch, it was probably a long simmering meal which meant lots of juicy flavor! Yum!

"ChiChi? Gohan?"

A creak from the kitchen ,followed by a crash and ChiChi's screeching voice of "GOHAN" made him smile. A black mop of a head stuck out from around the doorframe and his little two year old son toddled out, noodles and sauce, the remains of his lunch no doubt, smeared all in his hair, over his chest and leaving stains on his diaper. He had on no socks or shoes and apparently his shirt had gotten decorated during lunch hour because all Goku saw on the boy was a diaper that looked like it was getting pretty loose. The toddler caught sight of his father and he squealed, "DADA!"

Goku fell onto his knees and held his arms out, "Come to Daddy, little man!"

The toddler giggled and pushed off from the doorframe, toddling towards Goku on chubby and slightly uneasy legs. He threw his arms out but his left foot caught on one of the panels on the floor and he went sprawling onto his face about two feet from Goku. The warrior raced to his son as he burst into tears, wailing and holding his face. "WAAAAH!"

Goku scooped his son up, underneath the arms and tossed him up, catching him. "Oh, that had to hurt, little man." He drummed his fingers on the boy's sides which made a small smile break loose. The boy still had small rivers of tears running down his cheeks though. Goku smiled and lifted the boy over his head, "You got ouchies, little man?"

"Owies! Lots owies!"

Goku grinned at his child. "Where, little man? Daddy'll make it all better."

The toddler grasped his forehead and Goku planted a kiss there. Then, the boy touched his nose and Goku gave him a small peck. The boy brushed both his cheeks and Goku gave each a fat wet kiss. The toddler smiled and then said "Dada always fix!" Goku smiled and tickled under the boy's chin which made the little boy squeal in delight.

_Present_

The only sound in the room was Gohan's deep breathing.

"That's right, little man. "Dada" always fixes anything that's hurting you. I don't know how I'm gonna fix this one but Daddy's not going to let you die. I promise."

He lowered his head and planted a long, heartfelt kiss right over his son's heart, wishing more than anything that this time the age old trick of "kiss it and make it all better" was truly reality.


	10. Chapter X: He's Not Just Anyone

**Chapter X:**

Dark, so dark.

And cold…really cold. Gohan looked around, half expecting to see snowflakes decorating the landscape although it wasn't the right season for winter yet. And there was also the fact he was indoors yet at the moment that never occurred to him. It shouldn't have been this cold. But there was no snow, heck there wasn't even a wind. It was like the air itself carried a dark, indescribable ice aura. Gohan wrapped his arms around himself.

"Daddy?"

There was no answer which was odd because Goku was always right by his side when he was sick. Where was Daddy? Where was Mother? Where was anyone? Gohan looked around. He was still in his bedroom, despite how cold it was. It usually wasn't this cold. In fact, his room was usually pretty toasty. Mother kept the temperature up and Daddy always made sure he had enough blankets. In fact, he had about three on his bed right now.

Sitting up, the boy curled his tail around his legs and wrapped his blankets tightly around his form. No good. If anything, he felt colder. He could have really used some of Mother's hot tea right now. He wanted something to drink and he wanted his father. He felt even worse than when he'd gone to sleep. As immature as it sounded, he wanted cuddle time with Daddy. They did it every night before he went to sleep and Goku did it a lot when he was sick. He just wanted to curl up in his father's lap and be rocked. That always made him feel better.

"Daddy!"

No answer. Odd…maybe Daddy was outside. Gohan stood up…a _really_ bad idea. Nausea and dizziness hit like a ton of bricks and not having nearly enough coordination at the moment to run into his bathroom, he fell onto his knees and threw up right on the floor. Most of the stuff wound up in his lap, all over his legs and a little on his tail. Great….now he felt awful _and_ dirty. If he had just wanted Goku a little while ago, he _needed_ him now.

"DADDY!"

No answer, absolutely none. He bit his lip and tried drawing on the link he knew he and his father had. He started seeking out his father's ki, as best he could, trying to locate where the Saiyan was. He found nothing. Maybe Daddy was keeping his ki repressed? Was he training? Why would Daddy be training? He was always near when he was sick. Why would he be outside?

Gathering his strength, he stood again, hoping his stomach would not send everything the opposite direction again. He had to walk slowly but it stayed down. Leaning against the wall for support, he slowly moved his way around the doorframe and peered down the hall. Dark as night, even though it was daylight outside. It was almost creepy. Like something out of a horror novel. ChiChi had included those in his reading until Goku found out. He had told her that he understood her desire to keep his reading varied but he had also pointed out that those books were giving him nightmares. ChiChi had agreed to that and had taken them out of his schedule, at least until he was older. Still, one thing he had learned from them was that a dark, empty and spooky hallway was always the hiding spots for beasts of some sort.

"Da…daddy?" he called. "Mother? Unca?" Gohan swallowed, nervous. Mother was always in the kitchen and she was nowhere to be found. Krillin had opted to stay for a few days and he was usually in the sitting room or outside. Daddy, well, he should have been by his bedside. Where was everybody? Why didn't they answer and why didn't he feel their ki?

Gohan felt an odd panic spread through his body. He broke into a run, despite how much pain it made him feel. He ached and felt worse but he refused to stop. "DADDY! MOTHER! KRILLIN! DADDY? MOTHER? UNCLE? ANYONE?" He tore through the living room, the sitting room, his father's mediation/exercise room, the kitchen and his mother's laundry room. There was nothing. Gohan tore into the bedrooms, first his uncle's guest room.

He screamed.

"UNCLE!"

Falling to his knees, Gohan tore to his fallen uncle's side. The human warrior lay in bed, looking as if he were sleeping if not for the blood pooled around him. Gohan yanked Krillin up, trying to see where the bleeding had originated. He found that source to be a gaping hole in the warrior's neck, right over the jugular. It looked like a lion had torn his neck open but there were no teeth marks and the windows and doors were shut and undisturbed.

Tears blurred the boy's vision and he blinked them away and tore out of the room, "MOTHER! DADDY!"

Gohan tore into his parents' bedroom and froze "NO! Daddy! Mother! Daddy! Daddy!"

Gohan ran over to the two fallen figures lying silently by the bed. He shook first his father then his mother before slowly turning them both over. ChiChi stared back at him with glazed, lifeless eyes. He couldn't see how she had met her end because there was no blood on her but her lips were blue. It must have been suffocation of some sort. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and tears leaked out, "Mother…"

He rolled his father over onto his back and he nearly lost another meal right there. A gaping hole lingered in his father's chest, right over his heart. Blood gushed from it and the sternum was broken. Broken veins and arteries lingered like downed power lines on an abandoned highway. There was something very key missing, his father's heart. Some demon had ripped it out.

Gohan buried his face, whimpering, "Daddy…Daddy…I'm sorry, I failed you…failed you."

Cold spilled down his cheeks, his tears but before long he felt something warm brush his cheek and then over his mouth, face and neck. Trembling, he whispered, "Daddy…"

"Daddy's right here, little man."

What? Gohan blinked and mist covered his vision. The voices that he heard were slightly echoed. Swallowing, he whimpered, "Daddy?" A warm cloth rubbed over his face and arms. His vision slightly cleared and Goku's face became clear in his sight. Wha-what was going on? Looking about slightly, Gohan found himself stripped naked, being supported by his father's strong arms, lying in a metal tub. But he was still in his bedroom…

"Da…daddy?"

"Shh, you're okay, little man. We're almost done, kiddo. Shh."

"Da..daddy?"

Gohan groaned, half leaning. "Da..daddy? Wha-"

"You got sick, little man. Daddy's almost got you cleaned up."

"You're…you're ali-" Gohan paused, grabbing his mouth. He leaned over the side of the metal pot, trying to keep any food and water in his belly to stay there. He pleaded and pleaded silently with his belly to stop squirming like a dying fish. Yet, there was no keeping his body from fulfilling its reaction to what it determined as poison.

"Hang on, little man, it'll be over in a minute." Goku's eyes darted around for a trashcan and finding none within the immediate facility, he cupped his large hands under his son's mouth just as the inevitable happened. The foul chyme seeped over his fingers and down his wrists but Goku held firm, staying close and calm until his son's heaving stopped. Goku rose as Gohan gagged and washed his hands off in the adjourning room before he came back. Goku gently lifted his son up, into his arms, gently drawing him into his chest. Goku used his gi top to wipe off his son's face, before settling down, Gohan perched in his lap, "Oh, I'm sorry, baby." He gently stroked the boy's dark black hair, kissing his forehead, "My baby feels horrible, doesn't he?"

Gohan managed a shaky nod. Goku wrapped him in a warm towel, lifting him up. Gohan trembled, asking "Daddy, you're alive? And Krillin? Mother..?"

"They're okay, little man." He smiled down at his son, stroking his temples a little, wiping away sweat. "Sounds like you had a fever dream, tough guy."

"A fever dream?"

Goku nodded "Your fever's gone up a little bit" he pressed his wrist to Gohan's forehead. Shaking his head, he dug in the nearby drawer. "Can you open up for me, Gohan? Daddy wants to see how high your fever is."

Gohan opened his mouth half heartedly and Goku slid the thermometer under his tongue. The boy closed his eyes and Goku wet a cloth in the bedside bowl and started to wipe his son's face with it, clearing away the sweat before folding it in two and laying it across his brow. Gohan half opened his eyes and gave a grateful gaze which Goku returned with a gentle smile. The device under his tongue beeped after a moment and the boy opened his mouth. Goku didn't know how high was too high but he knew by the touch, Gohan was getting there. Luckily, his half Saiyan blood meant that his fever could get to about forty five before it was considered dangerous. The readout said forty three point seven. Higher than before, much higher!

"Alright, time for another doze, kiddo." Goku pulled one of Bulma's blue vials out of the side drawer and that emitted a "not that stuff" from his son followed by the boy burying his face into the pillow. Goku sighed and stroked the back of the boy's neck "I know it tastes horrible, Gohan but it'll help." Gohan shook his head and buried his face even deeper.

"Nu uh!"

"Gohan, c'mon. Don't be difficult."

"I don't want that stuff!"

"Gohan, c'mon open up."

"No!"

"Gohan, c'mon. It's just a tablespoon. Once you take that, Daddy's got an ice cream for you."

"No, Daddy, no!"

"Not even a sundae?"

Gohan peered out with one eye "Sundae? With cherries?"

"Sure."

"Honest?"

"'course kiddo. Tell you what…" he knelt to his son's level, "Put your arms around my neck, little man."

Gohan did so, and Goku drew him up into his arms. Gohan wrapped his legs around his father's waist as well as his tail. Lying his feverish head on his father's shoulder, Goku carried him down into the kitchen and set him on one of their stools. Gohan sat there, trying to stay as still as he could because it made him feel dizzy if he moved too much. In his logical part of mind, he supposed an ice cream right now was probably not the best thing but the kid part of his mind which rarely got let out in full was saying: no medicine without sugar to wash it down.

Goku turned around and sat a large ice cream sundae in front of his son, with mild toppings. He didn't want to upset the boy's stomach again although he knew secretly that Gohan wouldn't be able to eat much of it. Not with how his stomach had been lately. Still, he'd promised to offer it and so he did. He kept the toppings small and mild though, so they would go down better.

Filling a small tablespoon with the blue goo, he walked back to his son. "Okay, kiddo. Down the hatch and then you can have your sundae."

Gohan made a horrible face but he opened his mouth and took the medicine with a horrid gag. Goku smiled gently and pulled his son onto his lap before spooning him some of the ice cream. "You want this, little man or do I have to eat it?"

_OOO_

Bulma cursed and rubbed her forehead. This was giving her a headache. She felt like she'd been working forever but in actuality, it had only been a day or so. Still, she worked nonstop, despite her father's protests and her mother's insistence that she eat. She was obsessed with a project and she meant to see it through to the end. She had made some progress by identifying what components needed to be in an effective cure but the hard part was finding a way to do so without killing her nephew.

Oy! Her head ached. At any rate, if she was going to keep this up, she was going to need some fuel. Time for a coffee refill.

She saved her current computer page of data and walked down the halls, towards the large kitchen. She had a coffee maker in her lab but she needed some serious coffee that was offered in the kitchen. Something laden with sugar without a doubt. A large mug of it. Heck, she was tempted to just…aw, what the heck? She was gonna need it. She snagged the entire pot off the stove and walked back up to her lab with it, pushing against the walls as a sweat laden Vegeta walked in, headed for the kitchen and hopefully a shower at some point. He reeked. But it was miracle that he didn't knock everything in the hall down. Still, as she pressed against and moved away from the wall, there was a harsh shattering sound and she looked down to see the back frame of a broken picture. Swell…

Setting the pot down on a table, she cursed the Saiyan prince in many a colorful word as she scooped the broken frame up. She paused and stared. She had forgotten about this picture. She brushed aside shards of glass and stared at it, her eyes smiling and an unrepressed chuckle deep in her throat. "Oh, Gohan if you live to teenagerhood, this sucker has blackmail written all over it."

Indeed it did. Gohan had put on one of his black gis and was standing on his tiptoes, giving her a small peck to the cheek. She had on a solid white party dress herself with lace over her face. She remembered that day, clear as if it were yesterday. It had been her first chance to really play the role of "auntie." She hadn't always gotten the chance but since Gohan and she had gotten closer since the arrival of the Saiyans, he had pretty much become her nephew.

It had been a bittersweet reunion with Krillin. Gohan had grown very close with him and Bulma had thought the kid was going to strangle him if he hugged him any tighter. It had been so sweet though. Even though they had to wait longer to revive the others and even longer for Goku to come back, that day had been glorious. Bulma, always anxious for a reason to buy a new dress, had immediately said they should celebrate when they revived the last few. Everyone, even ChiChi, had agreed that a day of celebration, not work, was due for that, something that Gohan was extremely appreciative of. In fact, the day had been meant to be full of sentimental joy but it had turned out to be like that in more ways than one.

Oh, it had been a relief in a way. Bulma and Krillin had only really gotten to see Gohan as a warrior although Krillin said he'd slipped back into his child mentality a few times which was to be expected, given the fact that had he been in a regular school, he would only have been in kindergarten. However, because Bulma had merely been an observer to the battle with Freeza, Garlic Junior and the others, she only really saw Gohan in his warrior mode. She'd seen him as a child a little bit, in the few moments when she'd first met him. Aside from that few moments, it seemed like every time she saw him, he was studying. Seeing him be a child that day had been a wonderful thing.

Not to mention the fact that it was probably the cutest thing she had ever been a part of. She had learned a lot about how children grew from both school and as she had watched Goku and Krillin grow up. Still, that day had been full of surprises for her. She'd seen Krillin and Goku go through their various "odd" phases but nothing compared to this one!

_A Little Less Than A Year Ago…_

"Gohan, you're going to blow up if you keep going like that!"

The small boy gave Bulma gentle grin. "Nope, I won't."

She laughed "You eat like your father."

"Honest, Bulma?"

"Yep."

Gohan grinned and watched her the rest of the meal. He had only just met her within the past year and he was already fond of her. He wondered why Daddy hadn't introduced her and the others to him earlier. Especially her and Krillin. He'd gotten closest with them. He'd only known Krillin for a few months but when he'd gotten killed by Freeza, it had shattered him.

Speaking of which, the revived person in question had finished with his own meal and was standing with the others, talking and celebrating. He wished desperately that Daddy was here. Aside from Bulma and Krillin, he scarcely knew a lot of these people. Daddy would have broken the ice easily. Now, it seemed until Daddy came back, it would be up to him but he hadn't the nerve. Rather, he preferred to stick by Bulma. Yamcha was so lucky! Bulma was so pretty and nice! At least to him.

Gohan's little mind began to think, various ideas coming to his thought processes. Daddy and Mother really liked each other and Daddy always said that Mother was the prettiest woman in the world to him. But no one else but Daddy ever hugged or kissed Mother, not like Goku did. What did Mother and daddy have that kept that special? Gohan pondered this a moment, going over all the various possibilities.

Was it because Daddy was strong and people just didn't wanna make him mad? No…that couldn't be it. Even when Daddy got mad he wasn't the type to lash out or anything. That couldn't be the reason. Maybe because ChiChi was a princess? That didn't make sense either though because she pretty much gave up her throne to be Goku's wife, he supposed anyway. What was it…

Oh, of course! Daddy and Mother were married! Gohan mentally slapped his forehead. Duh! So, he guessed that meant that they were both off limits now. Cool! He considered a moment more and then walked over to Bulma and tugged on her dress skirt. She turned from her talk with Yamcha and knelt to his level. "Hey kiddo. What's up?"

"Bulma, question."

"Shoot, kiddo."

"Will you marry me?"

Bulma choked on her inhale and looked into the boy's bright eyes, looking at her ever so patiently, waiting for a reply. Had he been any older, she would have slapped his face for such a question but coming from a child his age, it was sickeningly cute. She gave Yamcha a small wink out of the corner of her eye and played along with the child's little crush.

"Well, I dunno Gohan. Usually, a boy will present his lady with a ring when asking that."

"I gotta have a ring?" That made sense, the boy realized almost as soon as he asked it. Mother always had on a ring.

"Yep."

"Kay, I'll be back."

He took off down the hall and outside, on the grounds around Capsule Corporation. Where was he going to get a ring? He didn't have any of his allowance left. He'd spent it on some of the foods and decorations for this celebration. He'd also used a little of it to buy Dende a gift. He was broke and Mother wasn't the type to give him an advance on his allowance. Daddy would have but Daddy wasn't here.

Gohan's face fell. It was beginning to look like he would have to just be grateful to have Bulma as a friend but then his eyes caught sight of the roses off to the side. Beside them were several other types of flowers. He ran over and plucked up some of the small bulbs and dandelions and plucked the flower tops off and pulled up their stems. Tying them together in a circle, he ran back inside with his prize.

"Bulma! Bulma! I got a ring! I got a ring, see? Now, will you marry me?"

"Ah, ah, ah. That's not how a gentleman proposes Gohan!"

Gohan huffed and his shoulders fell. "How do I do that, Bulma?"

Bulma smirked at her little friend, her little nephew. "A gentleman gets down on one knee when he presents his ring to his lady bride."

Gohan nodded and did it right there, offering her the flower ring. "Please, Bulma?"

"Please what? What is this ring for again?"

"Bulma, will you marry me?"

Bulma smirked and took the flower ring from her nephew, being careful not to crush it. Sliding it onto one of her fingers, she gave a delicate kiss to the boy's face, "Alright, squirt. I accept."

_Present_

Bulma sighed, putting the picture down. Her mother had gone picture crazy at their little pretend ceremony. She would have to give Goku and ChiChi the copies at some point. It had been a little hard when Gohan had figured out that it had been pretend and not real. Bulma had expected that though. A quick trip with Krillin to the ice cream parlor downtown had killed any hard feelings.

Bulma walked back into her lab and sat down in front of her computer again. Numbers breezed by her face and the scientist narrowed her eyes and focused intensely on them, more determined than ever to get that cure, and to get it soon. She grabbed a rubber band from her desk drawer and bund her blue tresses behind her neck, to keep them out of her eyes. Squeezing her fists into tight balls, she started typing furiously.

_OOO_

"Here, little buddy."

Gohan blinked and opened his eyes. "Oh, Krillin…"

"Yep, your mother and father are mixing up some herbal remedy for you.."

"Ugh…" Gohan pulled the covers over his head and Krillin chuckled.

"Not something you wanted to hear?"

"Those things work but they always either burn or taste horrible…or both."

Krillin smiled and shifted the boy's pillows so he could sit up. "Well, I'm sure your Daddy's trying to keep that to a minimum. Your mother fixed some rich soup for you and some bread."

"I'm not hungry, Krillin."

"I know you aren't but you need to try and eat so that your body can fight back with everything it's got. Then you can sleep again, okay?"

"Do I have to eat?"

"You need to try to, little buddy. If you can't, don't push yourself but at least try for me and your Daddy, okay?"

Gohan sighed but picked up the spoon and attempted to shovel some of the liquid into his mouth but he pushed it away with a "I can't, Krillin."

"Why don't you at least drink your juice, then?"

Gohan obliged to that and Krillin sat by his side and wiped his face with a wet cloth. Gohan downed the glass and managed to nimble half of the bread away, which Krillin praised him for and then laid down, comforted by Krillin's promise that his father would be back soon. Although the human warrior didn't have to, he found himself willingly staying by Gohan, sitting by his head and stroking his sweaty hair back.

Gohan was so much like his father that it was scary. Gohan's loyalty was easily his greatest attribute. He was truly a warrior, a pure hearted warrior, at heart. Krillin knew it by the joy that lit up in his eyes as he saved and spared innocents. Even if he didn't like the violence (and quite honestly, who did?) he loved the process, the sparring and the knowledge that he was saving lives.

Krillin found him incredible. He had seen far more than any six year old should see, far more than anyone of any age should ever see and yet he kept his childlike innocence, his youthful spunk. Even now, pretty much on his deathbed as far as they knew, he managed to smile in his sleep, to keep the façade of calmness about him, despite the need for his father.

He was far too young to have to deal with this. He should have been sparring and playing with his father, having fun. Yet here he was, lying in bed, a growing fever every minute. Already, the boy was approaching a danger zone for his temperature. Krillin wished there was more he could do than just be a deliverer and temporary comforter but he really couldn't think of much.

Well, there was one thing. "Oh, little buddy, wait."

"Huh?"

"I know you're tired but you need to run to the bathroom first."

"Aw…"

"Nope, go on. That way you don't have to get up to do it later."

Gohan sighed but he pushed the covers off, and slowly sat up. He had to pause, to make sure his sight wasn't going to be dizzy. Last thing he wanted was to throw up again. That was no fun. Pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose a moment, he closed his eyes and slowly rose to his feet, his tail sticking straight out to give him balance. Had it not been such a serious indication of how ill the boy was, Krillin would have found it humorous.

"Here, little buddy." Krillin wrapped the boy's small arm around his neck, giving him a support to lean on. Gohan gave the human warrior a grateful look and pressed his small mass against him. Krillin was thankful the boy hadn't developed the size of muscles his father had yet. It made him easier to support and Krillin could still carry the boy if he had to. With the way he was stumbling, it was beginning to look like he would have to.

Still, he managed to get the boy into the bathroom. Having Goku for a father, Gohan had no shame in taking his slacks down in front of Krillin which was a good thing because Krillin had to stay there to help him stand. Less than a year ago, he would have thought it was pure hogwash that he'd be playing pampering uncle to a child and yet here he was. Amazing the trips life had taken him on in the past few months…

"-rillin?"

"Huh?" Krillin snapped out of his thoughts.

"I said I was done," Gohan said softly. He pulled his pajama bottoms up and lay against Krillin's side. Krillin gently helped him over to the sink and let the boy wash his hands before he slid one arm under his legs and one under his back and lifted him up into his arms. Gohan laid against his shoulder, closing his eyes and he grasped his heart for a moment, hissing but it quickly passed.

An odd sight that must have been! Krillin was only taller than Gohan by an inch or two. Yet, the body was disturbingly light. He felt like he'd lost a lot of weight. That fact didn't surprise him but it did worry him. Seeing Gohan without an appetite was almost as bad as seeing Goku without one. It just wasn't a normal occurrence. Plus, if this boy got any lighter, he was going to be a toothpick! He was already thin!

Krillin gently laid him down in bed and pulled the covers up to his chest. Gohan laid down on his side. Krillin stroked the boy's hair and sat by his side, being as comforting as he could be. It was hard because usually Gohan was only comforted by his father. Not surprising but because Gohan felt so bad, he seemed to be falling asleep under Krillin's touch for now.

He looked every bit a child now. After the battle against Vegeta and Nappa, it had taken a few instances for it to finally click with Krillin that Gohan was not JUST a child nor was he JUST a warrior…he was both. Sometimes he seemed solely warrior. Sometimes he seemed solely child as he looked now. Odd thing that he was now so used to seeing him that way.

_Little Over A Year Ago_

_Planet Namek_

"That was close, too close."

Gohan didn't reply to Krillin. He knew he'd screwed up. Dende was alive but they had barely escaped with their own lives. At least they got a little bit of a break, courtesy of Bulma's little hideaway. Gohan had been scared once the realization had hit. When he'd realized that Krillin _and_ Dende might be killed because he didn't act more rationally, or at least didn't think through as much as he could have, he'd been full of both guilt and fear right down to his bones.

"I know Krillin, I-"

"Hush!"

Gohan looked up, tears in his eyes. Krillin was tense, thinking and Gohan saw that in his face. He fell silent again, his head down. Maybe it would be best if he just kept quiet. Still, he felt he had a right and a need to explain his actions. He knew Krillin wasn't happy and to be quite honest, his father probably would not have been either had he been there…

But right now, he wished Daddy was here! He didn't mind Krillin or Bulma's company but he needed Daddy's _help_ right now and judging by the stress in Krillin's ki, it would not be the best time to ask him. But then…who was he supposed to ask? Bulma..? Maybe, after all, Daddy did say he'd known her since he was a little child. Maybe she would be able to help him.

"Oh, this weather is simply death to my complexion."

Uh…maybe not. She was certainly vain…nice, but vain. She wouldn't want anything to do with his current problem. Besides, she was heating up their meals. They had capsulized food but it still had to be warmed up and Bulma insisted on doing that herself. Dende was sitting in the main living space, by Krillin who was trying to comfort him a little bit.

Gohan slowly walked in and sat on the other side of Dende, offering him a smile himself. The little Namekian was nervous and confused but he seemed to feel safe which was a plus for Gohan. The alien child was obedient and polite and followed Bulma's call for their attendance as soon as Gohan could smell the warmed food. He grasped Krillin's sleeve as the human warrior walked after Dende.

"Krillin?"

This time, the human warrior's expression was much softer, much calmer. He gave Gohan a small shaky grin. "Yeah, little buddy?"

"Can I have help?"

"Help with what?"

HUH? Daddy never asked that! Wh..what was he supposed to say? "Just need help."

"Help with what?"

"Uh…"

"Are you two coming to eat or not?"

Krillin nodded towards Bulma and turned to Gohan, "Help with what, Gohan? I'm not a mind reader."

"I…just help…" Why didn't Krillin understand?

"Yer gonna hafta tell me more than that, kiddo. If you can phrase it so I can understand it, sure I'll help you…"

_Present_

Krillin shook his head. Now, he would have known in an instant what had been wrong with Gohan. Yet, then, he was so naïve when it came to children that he probably looked like a fool. Him and Bulma, both actually. Goku had come in at the right moment, as always and yet despite his appearance as a full bodied and abled warrior, ready for a good fight, in the few moments of peace they'd had before Captain Ginyu, he'd gone from warrior to father and back and in that small amount of time had promptly made Krillin feel like a moron.

_Little Over A Year Ago_

_Planet Namek_

"Daddy?"

Goku looked down at his little son, tugging on his gi pant leg. They only had a limited amount of time, who knew how little. Yet the Saiyan knelt to his son's level and spoke gently, "what's wrong, little man?"

"I need help, Daddy."

"You need hel- oh! Okay! That's no big deal, little man. Strip them off, okay?"

Krillin promptly stared, awestruck. Had Goku caught something he missed? Apparently, he'd missed a lot because Gohan stripped his slacks and under wear off right there and Goku started to stroke him down with a wet cloth. To Krillin's flabbergasted look, he replied, "He asked you that before, didn't he, Krillin?" The human warrior nodded.

"I didn't understand what he needed help with…"

"He says that if he had an accident." Goku smiled and pulled a small capsule out of his gi top, snapping it open in his hand.

Krillin blinked "You carry his clothes around with you?"

"A spare set, sure."

"You carry a spare set of his clothes in your gi?"

"Yep. He's just five, Krillin. He's gonna have accidents." Goku thumbed his son's nose and helped him pull up the spare pair of slacks, identical to his other gi pants. He'd seen his son's gi uniform and while they were in the hospital had asked Bulma's mother to make him at least one spare set, specifically for a case like this. He'd learned that with Gohan a while ago. He was getting better with the accidents but when he'd learned his son was going to Namek, he'd decided that he better bring along the set, just in case. Smart call on his part it turned out.

"Better, little man?"

Gohan nodded and now his young eyes turned back to warrior. His father's gaze shifted to mirror his own.

_Present_

Krillin smiled faintly. After that little incident, Krillin had taken Goku's advice to heart. He had a spare set of Gohan's clothes at his own place. The boy hadn't had to use them yet but they were there if he ever did. Amazing…one year, so many changes in his life. He'd matured a lot, as Goku had. As Gohan had. Yet at heart they were the same. The love, the friendship, the loyalty…

"AHHH! DADDY!"

Krillin jerked his attention to his nephew who was clasping his heart. Clasping hold of his hand, he said gently, "Hey, hey, it'll pass, kiddo…"

"No! This is different! Stronger…"

Oh no…Kami, no! Was it hitting full force, already? But that meant…no! That couldn't be it…Kami no!

"DADDY! I WANT MY DADDY! DADDY MAKE IT STOP!"

That's _exactly_ what it was.

All Krillin could do was watch as his best friend and his wife ran into their only child's room only to be helpless to do anything but hear their son scream in agony.


	11. Chapter XI: Can You Hear Me?

**Chapter XI**

"STOP! STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

Goku cradled his son close to his chest and paced the room with him, trying to calm him down. However, this pain was beyond anything either he or ChiChi could imagine. Who knew the type of pain their only child was being put through this very moment?

Goku looked down at his son. The boy's face was a bright red color, as he let out his pain the only way he knew how and that was by screeching his lungs out. It made Goku's ears ache but he put up with it, feeling that his son had every right to scream. He would tolerate it and try as best he could to calm him down but that was getting harder and harder with how much pain he was in.

"DADDY! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!"

"I know, I know, I know."

"MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!"

"Daddy's trying, little man. Daddy's trying. Try and calm down."

"It hurts! It hurts!"

"I know, I know it hurts."

"Daddy, make it stop, please!"

Goku bit down his own tears, knowing all too well that if he broke out in tears it would scare his little boy to death. After all, he was Daddy. He was supposed to be strong, to be undefeatable. If Gohan saw his father break down in front of him then it would do nothing but make the poor child ever more petrified than he already was and that was the last thing he needed.

"Calm down baby." Goku kept his cradling, his comforting and his pacing up. It was all that he could think of to do. Krillin had immediately gone to fetch Bulma, to let her know that the boy's virus had taken the turn for the worst. Goku could only wait and hope that Bulma had something that could help. His heart was breaking as he could only sit and listen to his baby boy scream.

"Goku, try this!"

Goku turned to his wife as she ran in, frantic. She handed him a small glass of red looking liquid. "It's an old remedy my father used to use. It was supposed to block pain."

Normally Goku considered pain to be a good thing because it alerted one to when something was wrong but in this case all it was doing was causing his son misery. He took the mixture from his wife who started to speak gently to her son, "Gohan, Gohan. Open up, open up. Mommy made you something to help. Let Daddy give it to you, okay?"

Pain filled eyes greeted her. She stroked back his black hair and Goku sat down on the bed with him, gently urging the boy to open his mouth and drink. As much as Gohan hurt, he tremblingly opened his mouth. Goku poured the red liquid down his throat slowly. The boy made a face but he drank it down obediently and ChiChi brought him a small glass of sweetened tea as a reward. He sipped that slowly but his tears hadn't stopped.

Goku thought a moment and said "hey, ChiChi?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still have that old box we put away when Gohan moved to his big boy bed?"

ChiChi caught on immediately "I'll be back."

Goku nodded and tried to calm his son down. He was going to make himself sick if he kept this up. Actually…he was already making himself sick! Goku ran him into the bathroom and held him over the toilet just as the boy's stomach shifted into reverse. Goku shifted his arms to support his son's neck and gently stroked the boy's face and forehead, whispering soothing words, words that only Goku was allowed to say to Gohan, not even ChiChi could get away with the nicknames Goku was using.

"Daddy…it hurts…it hurt so bad…"

"I know it does Gohan, I know it does…"

"Make it stop…"

"Daddy wishes he could little man."

Gohan gritted his teeth and bit down into Goku's bare skin with his sharp teeth to muffle his coming scream. Goku gritted his own teeth but he let his son bite. If Gohan needed to bite then he would serve for a biting tool if he had to. Gohan's Saiyan fangs were still baby teeth thankfully, as were the rest of the boy's teeth so it didn't hurt quite as bad. Goku let him bite, stroking his hair as he did.

"Shh, it's okay, little man. Aunt Bulma's on her way over to see if she can numb the pain anyway, okay? Just keep fighting for me."

"I…I'm trying."

Gohan burst out screaming again and grabbed his mouth. Goku rushed him to the bathroom again just in time for the boy to spew out the contents of his stomach which unfortunately meant ChiChi's herbal remedy. This was bad. How could they possibly help his son when nothing could stay in his belly? Every medicine goku knew of for internal illnesses had to be swallowed. Even Trunks' original antidote had been an oral medication. Yet, his son was too nauseous to keep anything down.

"DADDY!"

"I know, little man… I know."

Gohan dug his nails into his palms, gritting his teeth so hard that they began to hurt like throbbing battle wounds. His stomach, in the past hour, had become his worst enemy. He began to dread even the smell of food, let alone the taste of it. Not even candy or ice cream would have appealed to him now and he knew that was a bad thing because of how much he and his father loved to eat. But that pain in itself was a minor thing.

There was the dizziness as well. Every time he opened his eyes he was afraid he would throw up and as it appeared to be as of late, that was becoming fact. He hated it because he knew he must be a heck of a burden to his father and mother this way. He kept trying to resist so that he could stop screaming but he ached far too much to not scream and with each scream his stomach heaved.

Then, there was the core of the pain; his heart. Never before had he felt such an intensive pain. When he'd been a little younger, he had gotten heartburn and things of that nature off and on but they were things of pleasure compared to the torment he was feeling right now. He felt like someone was ripping apart his heart with a serrated knife, layer by layer, ventricle by ventricle, atrium by atrium.

Tears erupted out of his eyes, trailing down his cheeks in such torrents that Goku buried his face against his son's so that Gohan wouldn't notice his own tears mixing with his. Goku couldn't hold them in anymore. While outwardly he seemed a fool that believed a way out of any situation, he knew full well how lethal the situation was at present. It was scaring him. He didn't want to lose his only child. Before Gohan was born he had thought that he was perfectly happy with his training. After he married ChiChi, he thought he was perfectly happy so long as he had her and his training. That all changed that one morning in May, so many years ago, six years ago…

_Six Years Ago…_

"Goku, don't wear yourself out."

Goku turned around and grinned at ChiChi from his position practicing his martial arts moves, to keep himself up to his strongest. It was the second most important thing in his life, right after his wife. He adored his training but he cared for his wife more. He didn't understand how anything could become dearer to him than her, despite how she yelled at him at points. He and ChiChi were due to become parents almost any day now so he looked forward to that with a huge grin. He had never been a father before but he remembered the love he had had for his grandfather and couldn't wait to shower a child of his own with the same type of adoration.

"Aw, ChiChi, I won't."

"Good, because the child's going to need all the energy you can muster."

"Is he gonna come out kicking?"

"With the way this one moves around, that wouldn't surprise me."

Goku grinned "I know and I can't wait! Wait until it sees its bedroom!"

Chichi smiled, despite herself. Goku was such a big kid at times and that was one of things that had originally attracted her to him. He would make an excellent father; she knew it in her heart. She didn't know if he would be such an excellent disciplinarian. He seemed too soft for that. However, she supposed that was what there were two parents for, to even one another out. She didn't doubt the child would be loved.

Goku turned from his training and walked over to his wife, getting down on his knees in front of her. ChiChi lifted her dress and Goku laid his cheek against her belly and was promptly rewarded with a firm kick. He squealed like a kid on Christmas morning. "Yeah! That's it, little one! Come on out so I can see you, okay? Daddy's got a lot of presents just waiting for you!"

ChiChi laughed at his enthusiasm and then she stopped cold. Goku eyed her "ChiChi?"

"Y..yes?"

"Are you okay?"

She swallowed, hard. "I…I think the baby took your words literally Goku."

"Huh?"

"I'm getting contractions."

"Is that bad?"

"No…it means the baby's coming!"

"Here? Now!"

"Well, not quite yet. My water hasn't brok-"

About the time she said that, it felt like Niagara Falls decided to pour out of her. Immediately following, she felt the contractions again, one after the other. She thought her first baby was supposed to be slow, not lightning fast! She slid her way to the g round, saying "Goku, it's coming now!" This wasn't how it was supposed to be! She was supposed to have time to get the hospital first!

"Now? Isn't it supposed to come in the hospital?"

"Yes but this baby of yours decided it wants out NOW!"

"You're gonna have it now?"

"YES! Now help me!"

"How? Whatta I do, ChiChi!"

The woman groaned, clutching at the ground with her fists, trying to suppress the pain. She had to stay calm as well as patient. This couldn't be easy on Goku either! Her body was going to deliver this baby one way or another but Goku had no instincts to guide him. She had to give him some type of guidance she supposed. Still, in the panic and pain, it was getting very hard to think.

"Remember where I said the baby would come out, Goku?"

"Yeah, the same place I put my-"

"GOKU!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you said."

"Okay, you need to…ugh! Put your hands around there. The baby's head is gonna come out soon and as soon as its shoulders are out, you can pull it out."

"uh…okay." He knelt down into position, looking completely baffled and probably a litte frightened for once in his life. "Support the head right?"

"..yeah!" She groaned and the training she'd received in some preparation classes urged her to push so she did. She did that again and again and again. Minutes seemed like hours but she could feel the baby slowly sliding out, although it was much rougher and harder than she had been trained for. It felt like she was trying to push out a rocky boulder not a baby.

"Uh…ChiChi?"

"What?"

"I think it's backwards."

"What do you mean it's backwards!"

"I see two little feet." Goku grinned like an idiot though. While sure enough he didn't yet see the head, he had already fallen in love with the small little feet. The toes were so little! They kicked a little bit, reminding Goku of a stuck deer. As he watched as he wife gave another weave, a small brown appendage slipped out next. "HEY! It has a tail, just like I did!"

"Goku! You need to get it out!"

"Well, you said grab the shoulders, I can reach those yet!"

"Can you see the thighs or the hips?"

"Kinda."

ChiChi gave another deep grunt, followed by another push. "There? Does that help?"

"I got the hips, ChiChi!"

She sighed in relief. "Okay, _gently_ start to ease it out."

Goku grasped hold of the blood coated little legs and gently started to tug but it was hard. ChiChi said be gentle but this one wasn't coming out easily. Did he wanna stay in there or what? Goku upped his strength a little but he didn't want to hurt the baby and he didn't want to hurt ChiChi and he was afraid he would if he pulled any harder. ChiChi groaned and pushed, trying to help him but it looked like their child was stuck halfway! Their little bottom and legs were sticking out but everything above the waist was still inside the mother.

ChiChi groaned and pushed while Goku strained and gently tugged and slowly, ever so slowly, the rest of the baby began to emerge out of the mother. First the hips, then the waist, then up to the chest and two little shoulders and wild flailing arms. However, the baby's head remained wedged inside ChiChi. Goku pulled but it didn't budge. "ChiChi, the head's stuck!"

ChiChi paled. "Goku, you have to get it out before our child suffocates!"

Goku stared at her and sweat gathered on his brow. "It can die?"

"If you don't get it out!"

Goku gritted his teeth, "Brace yourself ChiChi. I don't know if this is going to hurt you or not."

"Just get our baby out."

Goku pressed his hands against the baby's head, forcing his fingers inside his wife a little bit. He felt her tense but right now getting the baby out was more important. He kept his strong fingers supporting the infant's neck and pressed his hands out and against the walls of ChiChi's opening, making a larger hole but also causing a small tear among the vulva. He felt it start to bleed but it wasn't too bad. He supported the baby's head and slid it the rest of the way out and into his arms.

The baby didn't move and its eyes were closed. Goku opened the infant's mouth and cleared the mucus and blood away before digging his fingernails into the baby's nose, rendering its air passages open. His grandfather had taught him a little bit about birth although he didn't tell him much. Goku turned the baby face down over his forearm and gave its bottom a gentle thump.

He got a wail as his reward.

ChiChi let out a sigh of relief, despite her pain and Goku turned the infant over in his arms, supporting the neck. The baby screeched, with quite the powerful set of lungs. Goku blinked down at his child, hardly realizing he had tears running down his cheeks. ChiChi forced herself to her elbows, struggling to see her child which her husband held more carefully than she thought he was capable of.

"Well, what is it, Goku? Did we get a daughter or a son?"

Goku managed to pry his eyes away from the baby's beautiful face to look down at the nether regions. "Has the same parts I do. We got a son!"

The baby wailed again and Goku stripped his gi shirt off, wrapping the baby in it. He moved to fall back onto his bottom as he sat by his wife who gazed at the infant lovingly but not more lovingly than Goku did. In fact, Goku looked completely mesmerized. He gazed over his newborn son's features: pale skin, wide shining eyes, a wisp of dark black hair and a fluffy short brown tail. The baby focused his huge eyes directly into Goku's and Goku felt overwhelmed by an ocean of emotion. Tears filled his eyes again and he smiled so wide he felt sure his cheeks would crack.

"Welcome to the world, my little man."

_Present_

"Here Goku!"

Goku turned, grateful when his wife ran back in. He snagged the blanket she had brought as she set the box down by the bed. He laid the blanket out on the bed, remembering the many times he'd wrapped Gohan in it when he had been scarcely big enough to lift his head. The baby would have been screaming forever and would cease the minute he was wrapped up. Maybe it would help his son now.

"Gohan, look at Daddy."

Tear filled eyes peered up at his face and Goku spoke gently. "Daddy's going to lay you down just for a minute okay?"

Gohan stammered out a "..k…kay."

Goku laid his son down in the large blanket, wrapping him up as if he were a little baby again before hoisting him back into his arms, cradling him into his chest. Gohan's tears didn't stop but the boy was trying to hold in his screams. Goku stood, pacing back and forth with him, trying to comfort him all the ways he knew, and all the while praying for Bulma to get here quickly.

"It's okay, Gohan, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay."

"Daddy…"

"Shh, you just relax. Daddy's not going to let you die. I promise."

Gohan buried his face, shaking and trembling. ChiChi stood, biting her nails and then looked outside, "Bulma's here!"

The human woman tore downstairs as Goku gazed down at his son, who was starting to breathe heavier. His screaming had stopped and he closed his eyes. Goku tightened his grip on his child as he heard Bulma running up the stairs. Turning, he greeted her, hoping for good news but she only said, "No cure, Goku. Not yet."

She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and ran to Goku who had his son swaddled in his arms like an infant. "He finally fell asleep, Bulma. Is that good?"

Bulma looked up. "If it's just sleep…"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Goku. Let me look him over."

Goku slowly handed his most prized possession over to his oldest friend. She laid him down on the bed and started to look him over but Goku was troubled. Gohan didn't protest, didn't squirm, and didn't move at all actually. Even when Bulma took out a needle and drew blood from him, he didn't even flinch. That wasn't like his son at all.

Batting away a fly that buzzed in his eyes, he sat down by his son's side and clutched his small hand in his large one, gently stroking the top. He didn't move, blink or anything. The only sign of life that Goku had was his son's chest rising and falling and the faint ki. But it wasn't the strong pulsing he was used to feeling and that frightened him.

"Goku?"

"Yeah?"

"I better up my work on that cure."

"Bulma, what's wrong with my son?"

"He's…he's fallen into a coma, Goku."

"He…he'll wake up, right?"

"I don't know Goku. I really don't know."

_OOO_

The insect headed into the mountains and into a mountain lair, landing atop the outstretched and wrinkled old hand of its creator. Wires were connected to the small eyes and a large monitor flashed to life, showing all the images of the horror Goku had gone through since his son had first fallen ill. The screen crackled and went blank with the boy's latest predicament.

Gero stroked his face thoughtfully. This was taking its toll on Goku but Gero saw a way to incorporate two new items into the agenda. The boy had fallen into the deepest parts of the virus now. He was in the darkest hour. In actuality, he would probably die before the sun rose. However, Gero took into account the boy's strength and lineage and decided a far more accurate time for his demise would probably not come until the next sunset.

"Still, Goku's guard is down. Perhaps this is the best time to test my accomplishments."

Gero walked down an aisle of white capsules, side stepping the ones still in process, those being Eighteen and Seventeen. However, he had a handful he had tried to improve upon, trying to determine the best design to use. If they succeeded in this task, then he could devote more time to preparing Eighteen and Seventeen for world conquest. It might save a lot of trouble or at least give him some insight into Goku's current abilities.

With a low hiss, he commanded, "Nine, Ten, I have an assignment for you two.


	12. Chapter XII: Come Back To Me

**Chapter XII**

Wind rippled past Nine's face, making her bright red hair flutter into her face. She was humanoid looking but not entirely. She could not pass off as human but she came very close. It was her skin that gave her away. Having been made in the early stages, as a side effect, her skin was a light indigo shade. Dark green eyes peered out from her face. She was pretty small in stature but not so small that it made her abnormal.

Her outfit looked more fitting for Ancient Greece than for Japan. It was a white short dress, a tunic in actually with golden clasps holding the shoulders.However, aside from the dress like top, she had on tight black leather slacks, to her ankles. Thick brown hiking boots protected her feet but she carried a sling like sheath across her shoulder where a golden hilted sword rested.

Twigs snapped underneath her feet and she paused briefly, focusing her eyes on the large house that dwelled ahead of her. Her mission was to discover how strong Goku was and if possible to hurry the brat's death along. An easy enough task. She zeroed in with her sensors, trying to locate the boy's energy signature. She found it in a far right room. Slinking close to the ground, she slipped closer.

The light in the room made it easy to detect. However, there was a woman outside, even in this dark night. She looked like she was washing some dirty blankets, no doubt due to the boy's illness. She was crying, Nine could hear her. Foolish humans. She would never understand emotions of any sort. Ten was her partner but he was not an emotional attachment but rather he was her best compatible associate. He thought like she did. He fought like she did. The doctor had designed them that way. Their Android Brother and Sister Seventeen and Eighteen were different because he hadn't designed them from machine alone. They were altered humans which Nine considered a mistake but she was not one to question her master's planning.

Still, the human woman would be a nuisance to sneak around. It would be best to render her out of action at least. Nine could easily kill her but she didn't want to waste energy to do so. Knocking her out would be sufficient enough for her to get to Goku and his child inside. After all, her target was hardly this human woman. Nine upped her speed and shot forward with mind boggling speed, slamming her elbow into the back of ChiChi's head before the human woman could even turn around.

ChiChi slumped forward, face down, sprawled into the grass. Nine snorted and walked on. She stepped over the unconscious woman and through the open door. It was dark inside, with only a few lamps lit. The kitchen looked a mess which indicated that a meal had just been prepared. Her doctor had said the boy was unconscious so she supposed, judging by the blenders and whatnot scattered around that the two parents were blending nutrients into liquids that could be given to the child. Pity that they went to so much trouble when it wouldn't make a difference.

Nine knew all too well that the boy would die soon. She could feel it just by his energy signature. His heart was weaker. His time was drawing ever nearer. In a way, she supposed she was doing him a favor, putting him out his misery. Not even Gero had bothered to create a cure for his virus. Once it was given, it was given. There was no way out then. It was a dead end street from there on out.

She didn't understand the emotion this Goku felt for the child. After all, all the child was a mixture of his and the human woman's DNA. There was nothing special about him. If he died, which he would, Goku could have merely produced another offspring with the woman. Why did he bother wasting his energy trying to save his child? He was the next generation, nothing more.

Nine rolled her eyes at the idiocy that was emotional attachment and slipped down the halls.

_OOO_

Wiping a splatter of carrot juice off his face, Goku eyed his unconscious son again. Gohan couldn't eat anything but liquids and those had to be poured down his throat slowly. Occasionally, some would slip up and the gag reflect was initiated which certainly explained the orange, purple and yellow stains on his gi top and the patches of liquid decorating his face.

"Oh, didn't like that one, did you?"

Goku tried as hard as he could to keep talking, to keep his hopes up but it was so hard. It was so much easier when Gohan had been able to answer, had been able to smile at him. Now, he lay limp as the dead in bed, his face pale and his ki so low Goku had to strain to feel it at all. The only indication of life from his child was the deep breaths that made his chest rise and fall.

"C'mon kiddo, let's try that again, okay? You can't get better if you don't have anything in your belly."

Goku supported his child up against his chest. He slid the dropper into his mouth and gently slipped the liquid down his throat. This time, he took it. Goku had gone through about three of Gohan's outfits before he decided it would just be easier to feed the boy without the clothes. Bulma had said the coma could only last a few hours, a few days or even a week. Maybe longer. If it lasted past a week, she wanted to put Gohan on tubes but if it was only for a few days, she didn't want to put Gohan through that. Goku didn't mind this. It was weird though. Gohan had been able to eat on his own for years. Gohan had been out of diapers for three years and yet here they were back in that state again.

It brought back memories that under normal circumstances would have made Goku grin and made his son blush furiously and bury his face into Goku's leg. Now though, they just worried him. He trusted Bulma but he also knew that they would need a miracle to get out of this one. Goku had been granted his share of miracles over the years. Was he all out of them?

He shook his head, trying not to think of that. He refilled the dropper, this time with prune juice. He knew Gohan hated it but he also knew it would help it more. He was hoping to get some kind of horrid face because that would have reassured him that his baby boy was still with him but he received nothing when he slipped the liquid down Gohan's throat.

"Gohan, can you hear Daddy?"

Nothing.

"You're going to get better, little man. You just keep fighting." He pulled Gohan into his lap completely so he could wash him off and change him. Wetting a cloth in warm water, he rubbed the liquid trails off his son's face. Gohan didn't move in the least. Bulma had said to put Gohan in different positions in order to avoid bed sores so Goku checked him over for any bruises or things to that degree and he found none.

"You done, little man?" He smiled forcefully. "Once you're better, Daddy'll get you so much ice cream you'll get a belly ache. You look forward to that, okay? We can make a day's trip out of it. Maybe we can go to park afterwards and Daddy has some zennie left. You be thinking of what kind of toy you want, okay? I saw a stuffed dragon the other day that reminded me of Icarus. I'll show you and you can choose, okay?"

Nothing.

Goku squeezed his eyes tightly but blinked his tears away and laid his son down on the ground to check his diaper. It was so bizarre to be changing his six year old. He didn't mind it but it was disturbing. Gohan hated even having accidents and here he was depending on diapers again. Goku hoped, for his son's sake, that he didn't remember this part when he woke up. It would upset him…

"Geez!" Goku turned his head away and tried to joke with his unconscious child. "You used to save these full loads for your mother, not me, little man. You mad I made you drink prune juice?"

Nothing but Goku kept talking as he cleaned the boy up.

"Sorry I had to give you prunes, kiddo. I know you hate them. They're real good for you though. They'll make you grow up strong like Daddy. You wanna do that, right? You wanna be a fighter like Daddy, right?" He winked as he strapped a clean garment on his son and tossed the old one. "I won't tell Mother, I promise."

Goku lifted Gohan up into his arms and sat down in a chair with him swaddled in his arms. Tears came then. He buried his face into Gohan's chest, saying, "I'm sorry, little man. I should have protected you better. This was supposed to be Daddy, not you, little man. Not you, you've so much to do yet, Gohan. You're still a little baby." He smiled faintly. "Get upset all you want, kiddo but you're always going to be my baby. You better get used to it."

Gohan didn't reply except to breathe. Goku stroked his face, thinking. "I promised to protect you, baby. I failed. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Goku couldn't lose Gohan, not now. He had only gotten him back. He had only been back a few months. He had always been able to protect him before, be it from a real monster like Freeza or a fake one, like those Gohan told him hid under his bed. He shook his head, wishing more than anything that he could rid his son of this demon as easily as he had that one…

_Less Than A Month Ago…_

"110! 111! 112! 113!11-"

"Daddy?"

Goku dropped his one thumbed push up and pushed himself up to sit back. "Hey little man. What are you doing up? Didn't your mother and I tuck you in an hour ago?"

"Yeah…"

"What's the matter?"

"Can't sleep."

"Why not?"

Gohan looked at his feet and shuffled them a little bit. "Just…can't."

Goku raised a brow and gave a knowing grin. "Bad dreams, little man?"

Gohan half nodded.

Goku picked his son up, resting him on his hip. Tweaking his son's nose, he chuckled, "You wanna talk about it, little man?"

"It's Freeza again…" the boy confessed. "I keep thinking he's gonna spring out at me out of the darkness or under my bed or something." Blushing red in his cheeks, he added, "I'm sorry, I know that sounds stupid."

"Hey, hey, any fear my little boy has isn't stupid. Is Freeza picking on my baby boy?" Goku demanded, his face taking on an overly serious expression. Gohan blinked at his father but nodded, his head against Goku's shoulder. Goku turned down the hall, still holding Gohan and stormed into the boy's bedroom, hollering at the top of his lungs. "FREEZA! STOP HIDING LIKE A COWARD!"

Setting Gohan down for a moment, Goku lifted his son's bed off the ground with one finger and shook his head, "Not there…COME OUT YOU SCUM OF THE UNIVERSE!"

He pushed his son's closet door open and finding nothing went on to survey the entire room. Gohan knew he should have felt a fool because he knew full well Freeza was dead. Trunks and his father had both ensured that. Still, his young mind felt a lot better knowing Daddy was giving the room a twice-over. Illogical yes but comforting nonetheless.

Goku finally stopped and turned to his son, getting down to his level. "Well, if he was here, he's chased off now Gohan. Promise."

Gohan nodded "Thank you, Daddy" he chirped.

"Hey, that's what Daddy's for. Anyone else comes and tries to bother my little boy, you just call me in, okay?"

Gohan nodded. "I didn't pay Daddy for tonight's fumigation though." He stood up on his tiptoes, asking "You take regular, butterfly or wet?"

Goku grinned, as it was a familiar joke between them. "All types of kisses accepted."

Gohan promptly planted about three wet butterfly kisses on his father's cheek, fluttering his long lashes against Goku's cheek making the Saiyan laugh. He pulled the boy away, saying "Uh oh, this one bounced." He planted a big one on Gohan's nose and then added "Oops, your account's overdrawn, gotta return this one.' He planted several over his son's neck making Gohan laugh.

_Present_

Goku laid his son down in his bed, burying his face into the boy's chest, keeping a firm grip on his hand, finding comfort in the steady beat of his son's heart.

_OOO_

"Yes, yes…please…"

Bulma watched the data of her latest trial stream by her face, tears in her eyes. She bit her nails, a habit she had long since been out of but her heart was racing a million miles a minute as she saw the infected cells she was testing react to her latest attempt at a cure. She wanted to believe what she was seeing. Rubbing her bloodshot eyes, she rewound and replayed the data.

"YES! I DID IT! HOLD ON GOHAN!"

Bulma grabbed the nearest staff member which happened to be her father and danced around with him, screeching "We did it, Daddy! We did it! A cure, a cure, a cure, a CURE!"

The human woman raced downstairs with her father towards a phone to call Goku and give him the good news, leaving her cure in the sealed vial. A dark set of eyes peered in through the window, long brown hair framing a dark olive skinned face. Dark brown eyes narrowed, analyzing before reporting through a speaker in their left hand,

"Doctor, Number Ten reporting. You were right as always. The human Bulma has devised a cure. Recommended Method?"

"Destroy it."

"Understood Sir."

_OOO_

Goku's ears perked up at a faint feminine step behind him. He almost rose and asked ChiChi what had taken her so long but he froze. He knew his wife's steps and those weren't hers. These were heavier. Much heavier. He opened one eye and sprung to his feet, jerking his arm out, blocking a sharp katana blade aimed straight for his son!

Hair flamed to blond in anguish and fury and Goku's eyes bleached to dark aqua as he took in the assailant. "He's helpless! He can't even defend himself! What kind of coward are you?"

The woman remarked "I have a mission to fulfill."

"Not involving my son, you don't!"

Goku snatched his child up from the bed, focused on Roshi's ki and vanished. He didn't say anything, just ran inside of the turtle house, nearly knocking Krillin over in the process. Laying his child on the couch, he remarked to Krillin, "Androids, at my house. They came after Gohan."

"What? He's helpless!"

"I know" came the growled reply. Krillin ground his fists tightly.

"I'm going with you Goku."

The Saiyan nodded and turned to his little boy, still dead asleep. "Stay alive, little man, please stay alive."

To Krillin, he said, "Grab my arm."

That said, both vanished.

Gohan slept on.

_OOO_

_It's cold…Daddy, it's cold here._

Gohan curled into a tight ball, trying to give his naked body some coverage, some warmth. He felt like he was sleeping in some kind of lake because it was cold and wet but for some reason, he didn't sink. Why he didn't sink, he couldn't even begin to guess but right now, he wanted to be warm! It was cold here! There were even sheets of rain falling. He curled up tighter,

_Where are you Daddy?_

**_He's fighting!_**

_Huh?_

A shot of a blast came out of nowhere and Gohan rolled to avoid it. He had to fight to stand up because the cold was zapping his strength. His little hands curled into tiny fists and he shifted his stance to the typical guard position. _Who's there? Who is it? Where's Daddy? Where am I? What's going on? I want some answers, please!_

**_Daddy's fighting for you because you've given into the virus._**

_What?_

**_ Your father is fighting for his life now because you gave up!_**Another blast came out of nowhere, this one connecting. **_Get up and go help him!_**

Groaning, Gohan forced himself to sit up. His chest ached now. His sharp eyes searched the landscape for the source of this voice and this attack. The voice was eerily familiar, like he should know it. From where he didn't know but what the voice was saying was scaring him. _Daddy's in danger? Daddy's hurt? Where's Daddy? Where am I? Who **are** you?_

A form stepped out of the sheets of rain. Taller than Gohan but a good two heads but still only a little taller than Krillin. Spiky blond hair and dark aqua eyes. His muscles were highly defined, his face serious and determined. He wore an orange gi identical to Daddy's! As he walked, lightning flashed around him and his met Gohan's eyes.

**_I'm the power that sleeps inside of you. The time has come to wake up, Son Gohan._**


	13. Chapter XIII: Awakening

**Chapter XIII**

_You're who?_

_ **I'm you, the power that dwells within you.**_

_ What? But you're a Super Saiyan! Like Daddy!_

_ **No, I'm a Super Saiyan Level Two, one of the many powers you hold within your blood.**_

_ Me? I don't have that kind of power! A level beyond Super Saiyan? No way, not me…_

_ **Yes, you. Your power is beyond what you give yourself credit for.**_

_ No way. Daddy can be that powerful sure but not me…no way._

_ **You know better than that, Son Gohan.**_

****The form stepped closer, looking right into the younger form's eyes. His own aqua ones sparkled with the same soul that Gohan's dark onyx ones had. However, there was a difference. These eyes shone with determination and a confidence that the little Gohan only dreamed about. This form was unafraid, willing to face any task, so different than him.

_You can't be me._ The younger Gohan reasoned. _My eyes aren't the same_.

**_No, but in time they will be. My eyes sparkle like this because Daddy has filled my heart with confidence, with belief, the same belief I know you desire. As hard as you work, your belief in yourself is your downfall. In a few short years, Daddy will eradicate that._**

The younger child stared, awestruck. He grasped his upper arms and squeezed, trying to make sense of this situation. He wished he was curled up in Daddy's arms, safe and warm. A soft hand against his forehead made him look up. The older form knelt to his level, sitting right in front of him, on his knees, smiling gently with a look that to Gohan looked so similar to Goku's, it filled him with warmth he couldn't describe. He hadn't a clue his own face was already beginning to reflect that.

**_Gohan, you know as well as I do the type of power you carry. You're afraid to use it because you don't want to hurt and because you don't want to disappoint._**

_ Disappoint?_

_ **You know what I speak of.**_

_ Mother's dreams…_

_ **Yes, but the fact remains, Son Gohan, it is your life to live, not hers. Yes, you should respect her and you always will but she has to learn to give as well and now is the time to start. Show her that you'll respect her wishes for you to study but you will follow your own path to happiness, not hers.**_

_ But…I want Mother to love me._

_ **And she always will. As will Goku. You know that. You know it. Disappointed? Yes, she will be, at first. But she'll see in time, Gohan. She will.**_

_ I want to please them both._

_ **You need to please yourself.**_

_ Myself?_

_ **Who are you, Son Gohan?**_

_ I'm a…_

_ **Are you warrior or scholar?**_

_ A scholar_, he replied automatically. The older form shook his head.

**_No, you misunderstood me. I did not ask what Son ChiChi wanted you to be. I asked you who you were._**

_ I'm…_

_ **Draw on your memories, Son Gohan. Who are you?**_

Gohan closed his eyes, thinking, drawing upon long forgotten memories that he now smiled at the thought of. His life was full of clues, full of answers that he had never dared to focus on. Even memories he wanted to forget, like the battle against Freeza had answers. Even times when he got himself in trouble with Mother or Father, they were all part of who he was. He shook his head.

**_Your Father needs you, Son Gohan._**

Gohan looked up. The older Gohan smiled gently.

**_He knows you'll come through, he has no doubt of that. You know full well that he never doubts what you can do._**

_Yes…_

_A Few Weeks Ago…_

"KAMEHAME.." Gohan lost the ball of power again, for the fifth time in an hour. He had the form and the position but the attack wasn't coming. Frustrated and pushed to him limit, the boy stomped his foot and flopped down on the ground, screaming at the top of his lungs, "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID THING! WHY WON'T YOU WORK!"

A faint chuckle behind him made him look back and pout. "Not funny, Daddy."

Goku helped his son stand and knelt to his level. "Don't get so frustrated, little man. It takes time to get that kind of attack."

"I wanna get it _now._" He complained, folding his arms. Goku lifted him up and set him on his shoulders.

"Let's go get some fish for lunch, little man. You need to take a break."

Gohan didn't deny the chance for one of Daddy's fish lunches but he laid his chin on Goku's wild hair, frustrated. He had picked up the manseko from Piccolo with almost no trouble. Why was Daddy's signature attack taking him so long to master? He always lost the ball of power before it had even grown large enough to make an impact and he could never say the phrase fast enough. His fingers or hands always slipped, messing up the stance. It was irritating! He wanted to be like Daddy!

Goku caught the feeling from his son's ki and he reached up and gently pinched his left cheek. "Ow! Daddy, don't do that."

"Then stop beating yourself up about this, little man. Just relax for right now, okay?"

Gohan pouted again but he nodded. "Fine…"

Goku set his son on the ground and stripped the boy's sweaty gi off. "Let's go catch us a fish, okay, kiddo?"

"Kay.."

Goku stripped off his own clothes and the father and son pair dove under the cool water. Goku took off in one direction while Gohan went in another. Gohan kept his young eyes wide and alert, ready for anything that came his way, hoping to catch himself a big fish this time. Lately, he'd only managed to get small fish and it took five or six of them to feed the family when Goku could snag a huge one that would last for weeks. He wanted to do that.

A ways off, Gohan spied the perfect fish. It looked about the size of Goku's average fish so the child sped up, slowly, urging his way toward the marine animal. As he neared it, he realized that his first impression had been wrong; this fish was much bigger than the usual fish Daddy caught. Still, Gohan pressed onward, determined to have a catch of the day.

The fish turned, eharing the water swish and seeing what appeared to be a small monkey in the water. It sped over with a velocity that was to envied. At closer glance, no it was a human child. No matter, human flesh was just as tasty as monkey and in the case of children, even more so because of the tender baby fat that had yet to disappear.

Gohan screeched once he realized that this fish was way out of his league. He turned to dart away only to have the fish's mouth enclose around him. Panicking, he drew into a ball and rolled backwards so the fish's razor sharp teeth missed him. He was unharmed but he was going to drown in a few minutes if he didn't do something! The child gagged at the horrible smell that invaded his nose and unfortunately, that cost him precious bubbles of air. The smell invading his mouth and nose nearly made him vomit but he fought it down, knowing if he opened his mouth again that water would rush into his lungs and belly.

The child beat on the top of the fish's mouth, trying to gather enough strength to get out. No good. It was getting hot, his lungs were starting to burn and he was starting to feel heavier and claustrophobic. The fish must be going lower into the lake. Further out most likely. Daddy always told him to go to far out because then the lake got really deep. The boy slammed himself against the fish's side as hard as he could, which managed to get a slight change in the fish's course. The animal could feel him and judging from the slight noises Gohan heard from deep beneath him, it caused it pain. He kept it up. Occasionally he got a spurt of blood but he was getting somewhere. The pressure he felt outside was diminishing. The fish didn't squirm as much. Finally, success! The fish no longer puffed oxygen in through its gills. Gohan wasn't out of the hole yet though. A swift jerk sent him sprawling down the back of the fish's throat. He screeched.

Gohan, where are you? Did you snag this monster of a fish, little man?

Daddy's voice! Daddy musta seen the fish and pulled it out of the water. Daddy, get me out! He gurgled in the water filled gut. This is disgusting!

Whether Goku heard him or felt his ki, he didn't know but the next thing Gohan knew he was flipped upside down and the jaws opened and he spilled out onto soft, sandy shore and fresh air filled his lungs as shrimp, moss and who knew what else spilled over him in a waterfall. He made a face and picked a dead crab out of his hair. "EW!"

Two strong arms hoisted him up. Goku checked him over without a word for a moment and then the Saiyan burst out laughing. "Looks you got eaten, kiddo."

"That's gross!"

"I'd say. You need a bath."

"Maybe but I caught the fish!"

"I'd say it caught you."

"Hye, I still caught it didn't I?"

Goku smirked and ruffled his son's wet hair. "yeah, yeah you did, kid."

Gohan grinned and Goku lifted Gohan under the arms and held him over his head. "You're crazy you know that?"

"Like Daddy, like son."

_Present_

**_Who are you, Son Gohan?_**

The child's eyes flashed without a moment's delay. _I'm the son of Son Goku_.

**_Yes.._**

Gohan's ki fluctuated and the older Gohan looked down at his wrists happily. Chains around his wrists and ankles appeared, vanished and then appeared again. The chains that were the child's self doubt. He had reached the child. He was fighting the constraints he had put on himself. The elder Gohan stared at his younger, knowing full well that the time had come. He was the child's power embodied and he felt his own ki fluctuate with the boy's soul's. Gohan's ki went through the roof.

_I'M MY FATHER'S SON!_

The chains snapped and the older Gohan's body exploded with power. No longer restrained by the child's self doubt, he grinned.

**_Now, you're awake, little warrior_**.

_OOO_

Gohan sat up, his hair flying into his eyes. He looked around, sweating. He was at Master Roshi's. He was naked, save for something around his waist. He winced and ripped it off, making a mental note to ask his father about that later. He stood, despite the pain in his chest that was even stronger that before. He was determined now. He stumbled to his father's old room, when he'd been training here.

There were still quite a few old gis in the closet. The child donned one, pulling the black belt firmly about his waist. He walked to the window, biting his lip to keep from screaming from the pain. He closed his eyes and felt the pain of his father's ki. He was fighting and he was losing. The boy's eyes flew open and anger cut through his heart. His thoughts turned only to his father, to his father's well being and any thoughts that were on his pain were instantly gone.

"Don't die Daddy!"

His young onyx eyes flashed, turning a dark aqua. His wild black hair flew up, turning golden as the sun. Waves of ki flew off his body and his muscles pulsed with anticipation. He jumped through the open window and took to the air. Turning his eyes towards the source of the fighting kis, his hand went over his heart and he screamed

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU DIE DADDY! STAY ALIVE!"

In a flash of golden light, he was gone.


	14. Chapter XIV: Desert Battlefield

**Chapter XIV**

Bulma froze as she darted back into her lab, astounded by the new form. She was sure that they hadn't hired any new hands as of late and they made a habit not to hire new workers and then stick them on the night shift, not right away. Besides, this one looked to be little older than his late teens. Besides, this was her private lab, not the lab of the company. Only a choice few were allowed in here.

"Hey! Excuse me but you're not permitted in here. This isn't the company lab."

The masculine form didn't honor her with a reply, just focused on what ever his task was.

"Hey!"

The figure finally turned when she touched his shoulder. His brown hair fluttered into his eyes but that's not what Bulma was focused on. It was the vial he had clasped tightly in one of his hands. She panicked, her skin turning pale. "Put that back! Now!"

He gave her such a cynical glare that she backed up. His dark voice frightened her enough that she half glanced back; to make sure she still had a way out. He took a step closer to her and she knew immediately by the lack of soul in his eyes that this was an Android but that only succeeded in making her heart throb like mad. She eyed her cure in his hand though a brief surge of courage pushed its way through her terror. She stood up straight and took a step towards him.

"Give it back."

"Oh, I don't believe I can do that."

Bulma gritted her teeth, "Give it here."

"You're going to have to come and get it, milady." He teased her, waving the vial back and forth. "My Doctor has a need for this himself."

"Your "Doctor" can go to Hell." Bulma charged at the Android, her thoughts solely on little Gohan and the adrenaline rush gave her a courage she would not normally have had. She struck out at the Android with her fist but it hardly made any reaction and now he grasped her hand himself, squeezing with inhuman strength. The human scientist screamed, trying to wretch her arm free.

"The Doctor warned me, through his researching of your Son Goku's acquaintances that you would be trouble. Smart girl, you should have kept to your own business."

"Goku…and his family…are my business!" she hissed and jerked her knee up, a move she'd picked up from watching Vegeta train nonstop. Nailing the Android, right in the groin, the machine, luckily, was not immune to such an attack and released her. Furious and afraid, the human woman turned around and imitated Goku and Vegeta's roundhouse kicks, hitting the machine's left hand, effectively knocking the vial loose. Jumping over him, she snagged it off the ground and ran down the stairs.

Android Ten hissed through his teeth. Apparently, some of his data had been inaccurate. He had been programmed with the knowledge that Bulma Briefs had no way of defending herself. That without some type of weaponry like a gun, that she was helpless. Well, judging from the pain vibrating through his body, that had been not one hundred percent correct. He stumbled to his feet, gathered his composure and chased the human woman downstairs.

Bulma was already a ways ahead. She had to get this to Gohan and quickly. There would be no time to coax the child to swallow it. The human woman grabbed a sealed needle from a lab table on her way out of Capsule Corporation. She dug into her pocket, searching for her keys. She didn't have dynocaps with her but she could at least get to her car. That might give her a head start on the blasted Android.

The dirt stirred in front of her as the Android dropped down in front of her. She hissed, cursing under her breath. Her ability to fight back was hardly something to be afraid of and she knew that all too well. Her adrenaline rush and the brief learning she'd received from watching a group of martial artists most of her life would keep her alive for a bit but not for too long.

Sure enough, the Android struck out at her with a speed that she could hardly fandom. A sharp pain rushed through her face but she kept her hands firmly clasped around the vial in her shirt, refusing to release it for anything. Her face felt warm as blood trickled down from her temple and nose but she closed her eyes tightly, wrapped one elbow around her head and braced herself.

Her cheek hit the dirt and concrete as a second blow sent her flying. Repressing the urge to scream out, she tightened her grip on the vial and tried to sit up. A second kick in the face sent her sprawling. She felt blood fill her mouth and she spat it up, groaning as she turned and saw through a blackened eye the Android approaching her. Elbows trembling, she forced herself up.

"The vial please…"

"N..No." she spat out with as much venom as she could muster. The Android's hand began to glow with power and Bulma winced, drawing her head away at least so she wouldn't have to see herself get barbequed. She waited, knowing all too well what those types of blasts could do, having seen them used in battles many a time. She waited but the pain never came.

However, she did hear a thud and turned behind her. Her eyes widened.

"Vegeta!"

"Don't misunderstand, Woman." He spat coldly as ever. "I don't give a damn if you live or die but you can cure the brat and that brat is a Saiyan. There aren't many of us left. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less, female."

Bulma opted not to argue with her rescuer's reasons. She really didn't care why he had chosen to save her at the moment. All that nattered was that now the Android's attentions were focused on the Saiyan Prince which gave her the time she needed to stand up and run, snagging her getaway in a hovercar. She set her sights on Mount Paouz and ignored the Saiyan Prince and Android who were facing off, calm as if they were going to gossip amongst themselves about the day's events.

Vegeta scowled. "The woman is nothing. Your fight is with me now, Android."

The Android blinked. "So, you are aware I'm not human, an impressive observation. That was quicker than most others."

"You expected less from a Saiyan Prince? Your deceptions are easily detectable by even the lowest Saiyan eyes."

"So there is no need for introductions."

"Hardly, now you die."

Vegeta charged the Android, who responded by taking to the air. The Saiyan Prince smirked. "Already running? You won't get away from me that easily."

That said, he powered up and took off, skyborn, after the monstrosity. Number Ten smirked. He knew all too well that the Saiyans could be dangerous. He hadn't the ability to defeat them alone, given that he and Nine were designed to be a partner group. Together, they could be quite lethal because they were designed to be parts of a whole. If need be, they could combine together. If they could bring all these enemies together, they could get rid of all the nuisances at once. Yes, that was the best thing.

Number Ten homed in on Number Nine's circuits. She was on Mount Paouz…no, she was on the mountain's lands but now her energy signal was moving. He zeroed in on her plausible destination and found it to be the Diablo Desert. Of course, that was Nine for you. She was the thinker of the group. Gero had designed them like that on purpose. He didn't want to give one too much independence. Ten couldn't think in long term while Nine couldn't think in short. Number Nine worked with weapons as she lacked a great deal of physical strength while he was powerful muscularly but didn't have her agility. The doctor had been clever and careful in his design. They needed each other.

He looked behind, firing another blast to keep the Saiyan pursuing and set his sights for the harsh desert landscape.

_OOO_

"Krillin, look out!"

The human warrior ducked, narrowly missing a katana blade. Why? Why did the Android have to be a girl? She was attractive! Had he not been so angry at her, he doubted he would have been able to fight as well as he was. This Android didn't use many ki attacks but her skill with the sword was excellent. Krillin had almost forgotten how effective a sword could be at ending one's life. He'd gotten so used to ki blasts.

Goku, always one step ahead of him, hadn't forgotten it so easily, probably due to his lifestyle. As soon as she'd wiped out a katana, Goku had jerked out his powerpole, effectively blocking most of her strikes. However, even the pole was showing sign of damages as the katana's blade was sharp, cutting out a few chunks of the enchanted weapon.

Goku dove in front of Krillin, catching the Android's katana with his powerpole and throwing her off. He threw out a quick ki blast as her but she easily dodged it. Krillin picked himself off the ground, "Thanks Goku."

"Don't thank me yet."

Krillin refocused his attention and nodded. "Right."

The Android landed a few feet away, snatching her katana from the air. Her face never changed, it was always so calm and unemotional that it made Goku tense. He couldn't read her possible actions that way. He could usually learn to read any enemy's action pattern and fighting style after a few minutes of fighting. It was one of his gifts. But he couldn't do that with her.

He hissed at one of the deep gashes on his left arm. She was quick with the blade; he had to give her that. Almost as fast as he was. That made her dangerous because he knew all too well that one well aimed blow with a katana would be more than sufficient to kill either him or Krillin. That slice on his arm had been aimed for his neck but his reflexes were too quick for that. Luckily.

However, he kept eyeing his unconscious wife on the ground outside the house. As luck would have it, she wasn't dead, thank goodness but Goku was worried about the stray blasts and battle scars that were being to litter the mountaintop hitting her. She was helpless as she was and Goku had no time to go and move her. The Android was taking far too much of his energy.

"You fight well, Son Goku, Krillin." She said in a voice so soft and cold it made Goku shudder. He narrowed his eyes. Normally, he didn't mind exchanging banter with an opponent. It made for a more interesting battle and sometimes it helped him to see an enemy's intentions which made their actions a tad more predictable. However, there was too much on the line for him to even think about that right now. His son was dying, his wife was in the danger zone and this opponent was fast, clever and cold.

All in all, it hadn't been a very good week so far. In fact, it had been horrific. He hadn't slept much, he'd only eaten some and he felt like his heart was going to be ripped out of his chest every moment he didn't know what Gohan was like. If his son died while he was away, if he died at all…well, Goku was pretty sure that he would be following him. He couldn't stand the thought.

Krillin scoffed at the Android. "A lot more than you, Android…pretty low, attacking a child."

"I attack what the Doctor tells me to attack."

Goku growled "that's just like Gero. Attack someone when they're helpless."

The Android tossed her hair. "And it won't take me long to track him down either."

Goku's heart froze in his chest. She was still after his son! His child, his life. And in Gohan's present state, the poor boy was vulnerable. His baby was helpless right now! Yet this…this…THING….was going to track him down like a hunter on a rabbit? Gohan was innocent, completely. He was just a little boy who was loyal to the bone. Now, he was paying for it. Goku blinked, not even realizing the tears that were starting down his face. His baby was in danger…and that terrified him.

_Four Years Ago…_

"Gohan!"

Goku cupped his hands around his mouth and called for his son again. It wasn't like Gohan to be out this late. It was past dinner, which had been Goku's first alarm. Now, it was a good hour past his bedtime and Gohan still wasn't home. Goku's mind was doing all sorts of horrific plays. He saw all sorts of possibilities. His son was only three years old, barely turned three less than a month ago.

"Gohan!"

Nothing.

"Son Gohan!" Goku hated using Gohan's full name because he usually reserved it for when he was in trouble. Still, he was terrified that his son was in trouble, or hurt. There were dozens of animals that paraded about Mount Paouz at night. Animals that Gohan had no clue even existed. There were creatures that sometimes even gave Goku the creeps.

He shook that thought out of his mind, "GOHAN!"

Nothing.

"SON GOHAN! ANSWER ME!"

Nothing.

Goku bit his lip and pressed onward. The dark night was starting to scare him. He feared for his little toddler. They had just started to potty train the child and the boy was proud of his newfound independence. As Goku trailed through the woods, he came to the conclusion perhaps they should have established firmer guidelines but it was hard with such a determined toddler.

Besides, Goku hated to restrain Gohan. He'd been a lot like Gohan, always anxious to find answers all around him. His son was an explorer, plain and simple and unfortunately, after a nap, he was always ready for trouble. He had crawled into the open oven once. If not for ChiChi's chance sighting of a brow tail tip, they probably would have cooked their son for dinner that night! Thank goodness for the insights of a new mother and father!

He'd have thought their paranoia would have prevented an event like this from happening but that was not to be. After dinner and his bath, the little toddler had wandered outside while Goku and ChiChi cleaned up the kitchen. As soon as they had realized he was gone, the two had rushed outside, ChiChi searching around the house while Goku pursued their child into the forests.

Goku paused when his boot fell on something too spongy to be natural. Looking down, he dug his fingers into the firt and pulled up something wet and flexible. Brushing off grass and soil, he recognized the blue and green markings. It was one of his son's pacifiers. ChiChi didn't like the fact he still used them but Goku insisted he would grow out of them on his own. This was Gohan's daytime one.

Trailing his finger on the green ring that hung out of it, he found the strap still connected but the clip had obviously come undone from his son's clothes. But this was a better clue than he had previously had. He had a better idea of where to find his tracks now. Sure enough, he soon saw little footprints, with small fibers lodged in the mud, no doubt from his son's pajamas.

He took off that direction, silent for right now, listening for any other clues or signs. His persistence paid off and before long, he heard a faint whimpering that escalated into sobs. He ran in that direction, fixing his eyes to follow the origin of the sounds. He found it to be in a patch of trees off a good mile. Gohan had quite the set of lungs, just like Goku had had.

Pushing aside a branch or two, he found his little toddler.

Gohan was curled up into a tight ball, wailing out as loud as he could. His pajamas were soaked through with sweat and water, probably from the mud puddles that were around the forest floor. He was sitting there, sucking on his fist like mad, screaming out every so often for his father. Goku broke into a run, "Gohan! You're okay!"

"DADDY! SCARED!"

Goku snatched him up, cradling him, "I know baby. Daddy's here, Daddy's here."

"Daddy, I was so scared! I cold, I hungry, I tired. LOST IVY!"

"No, no, you didn't, little man. Daddy found Ivy but she needs a bath. Here, take her twin Iggy for now, okay?" Goku pulled Iggy out of his pocket: Gohan's red and orange pacifier. Gohan whimpered, took the item offered and stuck it into his mouth. He suckled it loudly and madly for about five minutes before the speed slowed and he laid his head onto Goku's shoulder.

Goku stroked his son's back as he slowly walked back towards the house, silently thanking King Yemma or whoever was watching over his family.

_Present_

Goku's eyes narrowed intensely with the thought of his innocent little boy being slaughtered like an animal in a meat factory. The Android regarded him with such soulless and uncaring eyes. Krillin caught the shift in Goku's ki and turned around, eyeing the Saiyan father who was very near panting with rage, something he'd never seen him do. "Goku?"

Hands curled together, moving behind his back, "Ka…me….ha….me….HA!"

The blue white blast soared towards the humanoid machine. She tossed her hair behind her and held up one hands. She wasn't an absorbent model completely but she could absorb blasts as a safety. The burning blast stung for a moment before it disappeared into her skin. She enjoyed seeing their faces light up with shock and horror. It was quite satisfying.

Goku growled through his teeth, "Damn." Krillin shared his best friend's sentiments.

"She absorbed that like it was nothing!"

Tossing her red hair back, Nine smirked "Can you do a little better than that or is it my turn?"

Without waiting for a reply, she powered her hands up, generating a blue white ball in her hands that grew to about the size of a small boulder. She took aim and threw but she missed Goku and Krillin by a good foot or two and it went sailing past them. Goku scoffed, surprised by her bad aim but then his mind turned to something else. Or more accurately, someone else.

"CHICHI!"

He turned around, and sure enough, his unconscious wife was the source of the Android's attack. He put two fingers to his forehead, vanished and reappeared, snatching ChiChi up from the ground before willing himself out of the way just before the attack connected with the ground, taking out a good thirty square feet of land.

Goku willed himself back in by his Grandfather's old hut and laid his unconscious wife on the same mat. She was alive, just knocked out and her black hair was a little singed from the blast. But she was alive and that was all Goku cared about at the moment. He checked her breathing one more time before he willed himself back in front of the Android.

"I don't believe the depths you sink to."

"The woman's expendable."

Goku ground his teeth. "You want a battle with me? You got it. But not here."

The Android considered before she replied "Very well." Upping her ki, she led the way off. Krillin and Goku gave chase after her.

_OOO_

"Faster, just a little faster…"

Gohan gritted his teeth, putting one hand to his chest, over his heart. It was starting to throb and pound, even more intensely than it had before. It felt like a fire trying to break out of his ribs. He was faltering in his flight, almost like he couldn't stay airborne. He was going to have to rest soon but he didn't want to. What if when he rested, Daddy was getting killed?

No, his body needed the rest. He landed, pressing his hand against a rock overhanging, giving him a little shade. He was approaching the desert land so the sun was going to start working like an energy sponge soon. He could already feel it starting to work. His golden aura faltered and he steadied his ki, making the golden hair shade and glimmers strengthen and solidify.

His eyes flickered up, seeing two different groups breeze past. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing Krillin and Goku and a female form in one and in the other group a ways off…a male form and Vegeta. Two Androids…he couldn't feel any ki from them. But he could tell by how tense Daddy and Krillin were that this would not be an easy fight.

"Go on Gohan….get up…fly…"

It was hard, so hard. His heart hurt worse and worse the longer he tried to fly. But his Daddy was going to need him. His feet then his toes left the dusty ground and he slowly rose into the air, gathering his breath and strength before pressing himself onward towards the imminent battle. He bit his lip, resisting the urge to cry out in agony.

Digging his nails into the skin, he drew small drops of red blood from his skin. He closed his eyes, focusing as much as he could. It took most of his willpower but he pressed onward, focusing on coming up amongst Goku and Krillin. He paused a moment, getting his ki and strength up as much as he could before he charged.

_OOO_

"Vegeta!"

The Saiyan Prince scoffed. "Hmph. Deal with your own problems Kakarrot. I have a score to settle with these Androids. Just stay out of my way."

Goku chose not to reply. He hardly had the time to think about Vegeta's ego. He focused his thoughts and energy on the female Android for now. She had a partner obviously because that's who Vegeta's cold gaze was focused on.

Together, the two Androids coursed,

"Shall we begin?"

The light of blasts ignited and the warriors collided.


	15. Chapter XV: Like Father Like Son

**Chapter XV**

"Ha! You think a little attack like that is going to do any damage to a Saiyan elite, let alone a Saiyan Prince?" Vegeta scoffed and threw the android's own attack back at him. The male android dodged easily but growled. The Saiyan was stronger than anticipated. Obviously, the doctor's data was a little off and Ten concluded it to be due to a result of the lack of surveillance. No way to remedy it now though.

"I'm tempted to eliminate you just to shut you up."

"Let's see you try, you mechanical reject."

Ten was all too glad to take up that challenge and his hands lit up with ki and without another word, he was a blur as he charged the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta dodged, although it took more speed than he liked. He had thought his training was far above the Androids but now, even if it was just internally, he realized that if anything his agility and speed were dangerously slow.

Still, being a Saiyan Prince of the highest order, he merely filed this away and focused on the matter at hand, attempting to determine the best way possible to beat his opponent. Vegeta was usually driven on rage and fury but this was a different kind of anger. On a conscious level, he wanted to preserve any amount of his race that he could, even if that meant half breeds like Kakkarot's brat. The boy had the fighting skills of a worthy Saiyan if they could encourage it against the home wife wench's ridiculous obsessions.

He was not about to let the only chance his kind had to survive to be wiped out without getting some revenge.

The Android's overconfident laugh made him sick. Ironic as he probably had given a similar chortle many a time but in the reverse situation with him being the receiver and not the deliverer made it annoying and infuriating. He focused primarily on stopping that laugh even if he had to tear out the throat to do it. That was not something he was above after all!

Ten charged with a speed Vegeta barely avoided. He barely turned before his hands had to fly up to block an incoming blast. As soon as the bright light left his eyes, he found himself on the receiving end of a harsh punch to the face. With a rapid pace, Ten pounded his metal fists into Vegeta's stomach, chest and neck. Bruises burst out from his skin but the Saiyan Prince ducked one blow finally, a result of mere luck and slammed a harsh blast to the Android's belly, sending him flying backwards.

Panting, the Saiyan wiped his face off with the back of his palm. Smudges of red were left behind on the white glove and that made the Prince grit his teeth and growl. Hard enough to not have been fast enough to block those pathetic blows but far worse to have shed blood, royal blood for this…human made monstrosity. Well, it was not an error he would repeat, he set his mind to that.

"Wouldn't you like to know how inevitable your plight is?" Ten scoffed, easily finding amusement in the Saiyan's Prince's anger and predicament. "Wouldn't you like to know how for years we have watched your every move, how we know your every fighting style? How do you expect to possibly win against someone who knows your every move, your every attack?"

Vegeta delivered a blast straight to the Android's neck. "The same way I always do: by being strongest." He powered up, as high as he could go. His ki rose in astronomical amounts almost triple its original capacity since the defeat of Freeza. For a brief moment, his eyes turned a slight green shade but as always, he had yet to achieve the level of Super Saiyan and it faded away. This only resulted in angering him and thus extending the capacity of his skill and power. "Kakarott has remained ahead for too long, Android. With this battle, I reclaim my place as Saiyan Prince, the most powerful in the universe!"

Infuriated, he threw an attack of immense proportions. Ki blast after ki blast, proceeded by a series of kicks and punches to all his enemy's vulnerable spots: the neck, under the arms, the shins and the groin. The Android groaned, growled and spat but he didn't back down. It was like punching a steel wall the Saiyan Prince discovered. Driven to blinding rage, Vegeta backed up and called upon his signature attack.

"BIG BANG ATTACK!"

The blue white light was nearly blinding to all surrounding areas but the Prince of all Saiyans had grown accustomed to the flash after using it so often. His eyes easily filtered it out. He charged towards the Android as soon as the potency of the attack made it safe to approach. The aftermath of the light still caused a faint burning sensation but Vegeta ignored it, not about to admit it caused anything similar to pain.

He charged his hands up, ready to unleash a smaller ki blast to finish the Android off.

"Not too bad, Vegeta." Came the smirking voice.

"What?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing…or hearing! But it was true! As the flash cleared completely, there stood Number Ten as calm and collected as ever. He used his left hand to brush some dust off his uniform. The twin Rs on his chest shimmered. His dark eyes narrowed and powering up an attack, he sent it shooting towards the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta dodged it easily and the two charged towards one another again. Fists collided with fists, knees with knees and ki blast with ki blast. The Android knew every one of his moves, every one of his attacks! He always had a collision with which to respond. He always matched his attacks, every single one! And that infuriated him!

"This ends now Android!"

"FINAL FLASH!"

_OOO_

Goku moved his arms to block his face, taking the full force of the Android's sword and ki attack. It burnt like fire but his skin had grown accustomed to such attacks over the years. It was the sword that was Goku's main concern. He hadn't a lot of practice dealing with enemies that used weapons. The Red Ribbon Army had but that seemed like it had happened forever and a day ago. So much had happened since then. The Dragonballs, Baba, Kami-sama, King Piccolo, Piccolo Junior, the Saiyans, King Kai, Freeza, and now the threat of the Androids…so much time had passed. He'd grown so much stronger but now he saw that he had slackened in the traditional ways of fighting. He only hoped that it wouldn't cost him this battle and thus his son, his life.

Moving his hands behind his back, Goku cupped his hands, "Ka…me…ha…me…HA!"

Nine merely cupped her own hands and caught the blast. It made her hands burn to absorb such a powerful attack. Her design was not an absorbent model; her circuits were simply designed to absorb any attacks as a defense mechanism. That attack had taken a lot of her energy to absorb. She couldn't use the incoming energy herself unfortunately. The Doctor was working on improving that for Androids Eleven and Twelve. In the meantime, she realized she was going to have to depend more on her sword.

Still, she was beginning to see Son Goku's lack of skill against weapons. He did quite well avoiding her ki blasts but her sword was another matter altogether. Her katana had connected with skin several times, drawing thin lines of blood which was an improvement over no contact whatsoever. Unfortunately, he was quick in the air. Almost too quick. However, her energy could last as long as the doctor kept the source at his lab going. She wasn't infinitely powered but if he kept adding in fuel to their wireless energy compound, they could go far longer than mere mortals.

Goku glared at the Android, so calm and collected. He wished desperately for a way to read her mind, to see her intentions and her plans. Her face never even looked annoyed or frightened which made her almost impossible to read. It made him nervous. His arms were decorated with the scars of her attacks. Her katana was sharp and she knew what she doing. She had skills that Yajirobe would die for.

Goku eyed the liquid dripping down his left arm a moment and then turned his attentions back towards the Android. He had a few senzu on him but he didn't want to use them because they were so limited. He wasn't losing enough blood for it to be a threat to his safety yet. He tried to focus his energies into keeping her at bay and hopefully finding and exalting her weakness.

Suddenly as a strike of lighting, Nine was darting towards him, katana out, her arms moving fast as water. He did a back flip in the air, narrowly avoiding losing his head but her blade slice through his gi, puncturing his stomach, making him hiss involuntarily. Blood seeped out of his belly, turning his gi a dark orange, the color of overripe citrus.

"Goku!"

Krillin charged the Android, powering his hands up in his signature attack, "Destructo Disc!"

The white discus immediately formed over his hands and he threw it with expert aim. Nine turned and ducked her head aside, rendering the only damage received to be a shortened hairstyle. Krillin cursed under his breath. These Androids were so fast! So much faster than they could have ever anticipated or prepared for. He turned to Goku who flew backwards a little to float beside his best friend.

"How's yer stomach, Goku?"

"Aside from the throbbing pain, it's great."

Krillin eyed it nervously. It was seeping an awful lot of blood. That was a deep wound. Yet, Nine wasn't receiving any damage from their attacks, none at all! The only thing that even showed she'd been in a battle was her hair was shorter on one side. A whole lot of good that was. She didn't even have a bruise on her. How were they supposed to beat something they couldn't even harm?

Nine lifted her katana in front of her face, the fresh red blood shimmering in the light. "So this is the mighty Goku Doctor Gero has had such trouble beating? You hardly seem a challenge to me."

Goku narrowed his eyes, his golden hair swaying. He couldn't stay Super Saiyan forever and he had been in the form since Nine had infiltrated his home. The gash in his stomach wasn't doing a heck of a lot of good for his ki's power level. Nine wasn't suffering at all. At least Vegeta was keeping Ten busy! They were having enough trouble with just this one.

Pain! Mind stabbing pain! Nine, in fluid liquid speed, had slammed her elbows into both Krillin and Goku's necks. Whipping her katana around, she aimed for Krillin's neck only to have the human dodge but keeping in the same fast motion, she created a three hundred and sixty degree angle, setting her aim for Goku, who likewise dodged the blade. Fed up, she drew upon most of her reserved energy, putting it into her speed.

What had been fast before seemed slow as molasses now!

Slice, slice, slice, slice, stab!

Blood oozed from Krillin's arms and legs so quickly he almost didn't feel the blows that created the wounds. It was like someone simply took a spongue and sucked half of his ki out of him. He mbarely managed to dodge a katana for his neck. The blood loss was already making him woozy. He was fighting to keep airborne. The sword seemed to move so fast it was almost pointless to try and follow it…

"Krillin!"

Goku slammed his best friend to the ground with a punch. A rather crude way to move him but it got him out of the katana's path nonetheless. He dodged a little better but Nine was landing more and more blows, more and more cuts. His own blood loss would kick in soon and he knew it. He was fighting to stay Super Saiyan. Cupping his hands, he called on his signature attack again, hoping that it would give him some much needed breather space.

"Ka…me…ha..me-"

Nine, having been programmed with no honor what so ever, moved with her lightning quick speed, vanished from in front of Goku and slammed her blade into and through his back before he could even track her, let alone dodge her. Sharp, white pain pierced Goku's consciousness. His hair shimmered a moment and then fell back to black.

Nine jerked her sword out of Goku and threw one of her stronger ki blasts at him, knocking him to the ground. Krillin forced himself to his feet and made his way to Goku. "Goku! The senzu…"

"FINAL FLASH!"

Goku blinked, "No, Vegeta! What are you doing!"

Ten got caught into the oncoming blast and with such force and so close not even he could withstand it; the physically weaker android was not built to take ki blasts head on. He was built to throw and generate them but not to resist them. Caught in the hot white ki, Ten attempted to absorb it and take it into his own body but with no success. His circuits began to burn almost right away, despite his sophisticated programming. His absorption techniques were simply designed for small ki blasts, not a lethal wave like this. His hair caught fire and melted away. His skin burned dark black and blew away with the wind, leaving behind only a metal skeleton that exploded under the pressure.

Krillin sighed "One down."

Goku's thoughts were currently on a more serious concept. The fact that Vegeta's Final Flash had not stopped. In fact, if they didn't move and soon, they would meet the same fate as the Android! Struggling to get to their feet, they felt the stinging heat on their faces. Krillin squeezed his eyes tightly shut, bracing himself for the mind searing pain…

…that never came.

"MANSEKO HA!"

A smaller ki ball landed right behind them both and the impact of its collision with the earth was just enough to throw them both out of harm's way although they got slightly singed on the clothes and in Goku's case, the hair, from the ki. Krillin shook his head as the Final Flash vanished away and lifted his head to find their rescuer. His mouth dropped and his heart froze in his chest.

Goku shook his head, digging out some senzu from his pocket. Biting off half of one, just enough to stop the blood loss, he offered the other half to Krillin. His best friend's jaw was locked in a downward position. Goku eyed him oddly, staring at his shocked expression before turning to see what had so captured his attention. His own eyes nearly tripled in size.

"GOHAN!"

Sure enough, there was his little son. His hair was blazing bright golden, shimmering in the light. Narrowed aqua eyes were focused only on Android Nine and nothing more. He completely ignored Vegeta's onward charge at the female android as well as her half hearted slice at his stomach with her katana that rendered him on the ground with his father and "uncle."

"GOHAN!" Goku repeated, staring, hardly believing and then as the shock wore off, he couldn't help an enthusiastic whoop! "That's my boy! Look at yourself Gohan! Look at yourself! You're a Super Saiyan!"

Gohan didn't seem to hear him. He kept his eyes on Nine. When he spoke it was the same cold voice he had used when Freeza had nearly killed Krillin. It was a voice of ice, of ruthlessness, of a loyalty determined to protect at all costs. His voice was mature, the warrior within him having taken complete control, using knowledge of the past battles to guide and the emotions of the heart to drive.

"You. Hurt. My. Daddy."

That said, he exploded forward with a series of lighting quick fists.

"You hurt my Daddy!"

Nine dodged and ducked, swinging out with her katana, rendering quite a few wounds on the boy's arms and torso but he didn't seem to even feel them. Blood flowed down his arms but he was only focused on one thing: ridding them of Nine. She had been created solely to kill his father and his young heart was not willing to lose his father again, not so long as he had air in his lungs. He'd seen his father fall and he had never felt such anger, such loss and it came out in the form of a livid fighter.

Krillin shook himself out of his daze and called out "Gohan! Stop! You're getting too hurt! Back down! Back down!"

Pools of blood were forming underneath the boy as he assaulted the sword bearing Android. He wasn't even feeling the sword strikes. He was completely obsessed with beating her! Goku's heart stopped, seeing the pools spread and he took to the air to go and aid his son, knowing all too well how his son could get when he was determined at something.

_A few Months Ago…_

"Daddy, go harder! I can take harder!"

Goku chuckled and ducked under his son's blows and strikes, smiling at the boy's determination but he was careful to keep his own strength in check so as not to harm his little son. Gohan was in a fury, so determined to match his father's speed, his father's strength. Inwardly, Goku found it flattering. But it also worried him. Gohan was almost too determined.

Eyeing his boy, sweat was pouring down the boy's face and his face was flushed. He stopped and caught his son's next punch. "okay, kiddo. It's time for a break."

"No! Daddy, I can keep going! I can!"

"Nope, maybe later Gohan. You need to get a quick rinse down and then a nap."

"NO NAP! I'm too old!"

Goku raised a brow. "Oh, you definitely need one. Yer cranky."

"AM NOT! I WANNA TRAIN MORE!"

"Nope, no more today. You can't go nonstop."

"I have to get as strong as you Daddy!" He broke away from his father and attacked the sky, doing punch after punch, kick after kick. He ever powered up his hands "Ka…me…ha-" the ball lost and disintegrated and the boy fell to the ground and cursed his young age, slamming his fists and then his feet into the ground, resulting in a full fledged tantrum although it was aimed mainly at himself,

"WHY CAN'T I DO THIS? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? WHY CAN'T I GET AS STRONG AS DADDY? WHY CAN'T I GET AS FAST? WHY? WHY? WHY! IT'S NOT FAIR! IHAVE TO GET STRONGER! I'M SON GOKU'S SON! WHY!"

Goku waited until the screaming stopped and walked over and brushed the boy's hair. "Feel better?"

A sniffle "Little…"

"Good."

Gohan sat up "why can't I get this Daddy? Huh? Why?"

Goku chuckled and sat down by his son. "You're improving every day Gohan. Training improves little by little. Stop being so hard on yourself."

"But…I want to get like you, Daddy."

"And you are, Gohan, little by little. Stop expecting it overnight. Daddy's been training for years to get where he is. You're a ton stronger than I was at your age."

"Can't do a kame wave yet."

"In time, little man." He gently stroked his son's hair. "When the time's right and you've enough motivation, you'll remember and your body will respond and you'll do it. I promise, little man." He smiled and kissed his son's forehead. "But it won't be able to if yo uwear your body out." He pointed to the boy's flushed face and sweaty palms. "See that?"

"yeah?"

"Know what that is?"

"Sweat?"

"Know why you're sweaty?"

"Why?"

"Cause yer body's crying 'Gohan, I'm tired, I can't do this anymore…I wanna REST!'" he added in a high pitched voice before letting himself fall onto his back.

Gohan stared at his father for a moment before the giggles escaped. "Daddy, yer so crazy!"

Goku sat up and grinned. Gohan jumped into his father's lap. "Thanks. Daddy's gonna rest too little man."

"Can I stay with Daddy?"

"Of course, little man."

Gohan nuzzled into Goku's chest. Goku smiled gently and for a moment just watched his son sleep, using Goku's chest for a pillow. He even suckled on Goku's gi for a moment. He never tired of seeing that. No matter what was going on, seeing his son like that was so comforting, so soothing. Gently standing, he walked out of the forest, settled for a patch of clover by the river and then laid down, his son still cradled on his chest.

_Present_

Daddy was in danger…Daddy was hurt.

Those were all young Gohan could think of. He saw the blood flowing and he felt it flowing but he didn't care. He was merely focused on keeping this Android away from his father. She scoffed several times, taunting him, taunting his efforts and that only succeeded in making him ache and hurt more and more. What if he couldn't save Daddy?

That thought made his already burning heart break.

No…Daddy would live…he would live…he WOULD LIVE.

Eyes flashed with emotion, barely contained love and emotion. His hands sparkled and his mind became focused.

Cupped hands moved backwards "Ka…me…" the ball formed. "ha…me.." the light grew. Android Nine charged, her katana connected with Gohan's neck just as he placed his hands completely against her chest. Skin again skin, point blank range. As the blood began to squirt from his neck, he managed the last cry.

"HA!"

The white blue blast exploded, smothering both machine and child. As Nine screeched in agony at the point blank range blast, Gohan's emotional rush died down and he could only think one thing as he felt the backlash of a successful, and very potent kamehameha begin,

"This is gonna hurt…"

Whether it was the Kame wave or the blood loss first he didn't know but now he heard nothing, saw nothing.

All went black.


	16. Chapter XVI: He's My Son

**Chapter XVI**

Pain.

Nothing but pain.

Gohan's slightly tanned skin turned a dark red, the skin color of a cooked lobster. He heard it sizzle, as clear as he heard bacon on a skillet. He dared to look down. The orange of the gi had long since caught aflame and now it turned to black and grey ashes that were swept away into the wind. Bubbles appeared underneath his red orange skin and seemed to poke up and down at odd intervals. Sweat poured off and evaporated at the same time. Slowly, with blazing heat, the red skin turned dark black. Gohan squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

Blood vessels bulged in his eyes and for a moment, he felt nothing but immense pressure and pain. He swore his blood vessels were going to burst like balloons filled too full. They pressed against nerves, muscles, tendons; making blood spill out of his pores, so great was his pain and the stress piled upon his body. As abundantly as sweat, droplets of red blood spilled down his cheeks, chin and neck.

PAIN! Mind numbing pain, pain so great that the child's stomach twitched and rejected anything within it, rendering a horrible mess all over his front and spilling down his legs. His eyes trembled a moment, as water does during a tremor before the pressure and heat became too much for the many small blood vessels to handle. With a sickening gush, his eyes exploded within his face. Gohan's voice broke from his throat with a nauseatingly squawk of agony. Everything before his sight went solid black and then pure white with pain.

He heard Nine screech in pain, in pure agony before a brief explosion, that sounded like metal tearing and imploding at the same time as he heard skin ripping and blood spilling out upon the dusty ground. Then, there was silence. Well, not quite silence. He could hear his own echo of pain quite readily and he was certain he was still screaming, probably saying things he shouldn't.

He just wanted the pain to stop. His heart burst with pain, fresh pain as if the agony he had been through before were nothing. He gladly would have taken the searing pain of the earlier days compared to the sweltering torture he was feeling right now. Any concentration that had kept the golden haired warrior died away. His hair fell back to black, the hair that had not been burned off by the blast in any event and his ki plunged.

Wind whistled past his ears as he fell. The pain was overwhelming. He just wanted to sleep now. Yeah, he felt he had earned it. Maybe sleep would dull the pain. It seemed to work well before. Daddy and Krillin were safe, Android Nine was gone. They would be okay. They had senzu with them after all. Everything was going to be okay now.

Yeah, sleep was sounding really good.

_OOO_

"ChiChi!" Bulma leapt out of her car and raced to the stirring human woman. There were deep holes and craters all over the yard. Bulma had searched the house and found absolutely no trace of either father, wife or child. Her assumptions that Goku had gone to fight the Androids and they had come here were right on the money. ChiChi had taken a little longer to find, but eventually, the human woman's screeching and cursing and crying had led Bulma to the just awakening human woman out in the old hut.

"Bulma! What are you doing here? Do you have a cure?"

Bulma grinned "Yes! I do. Where's Gohan?"

ChiChi jumped up "He's not inside?"

"No."

"Did the Androids get my baby!" She bit her nails so hard blood broke out of the bases. Bulma bit her own lip but shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. It looks like Goku managed to get him away."

"Then where is he?"

"Well, he isn't at Capsule Corp. Where else would he take him, ChiChi?"

ChiChi blinked, "Well…he wouldn't take him to my father's…oh, I bet he's at that pervert's house! Goku, of all the places to take him!"

She jumped into Bulma's car and Bulma barely managed to get one foot in before ChiChi slammed the accelerator to the ground. Bulma screeched and dug in her nails, silently cursing, knowing that these new nails were history now. Still, at the present moment, she determined that was a minor thing. After all, they didn't have any idea how bad Gohan was or if he was even still alive.

No, don't think of that! She berated herself. Gohan was Goku's son, of course he was alive! He _had_ to be.

He just had to be…

Trees and then the ocean breezed past them. ChiChi had no license and if she had, it would certainly have been revoked by the way she was driving. Bulma was certain she lost five or ten years off her life during that journey. ChiChi never took her foot off the accelerator even when there were rocks, trees and now sea creatures. She would just swerve the car. Bulma thought several times that she was going to fly out of the car.

"ChiChi! It won't do us any good if we die before we get to Gohan!" she cried out to the frantic mother.

ChiChi gave her a cold glare but did alter her course to take the turns less sharply. Bulma let out a sigh of relief as she saw the small island and Kame House come into view. ChiChi merely let the car crash into the sand and jumped out before it stopped skidding, storming inside, demanding "Where's my Gohan? Where is he? Bulma's here! She has the cure!" ChiChi slammed open doors, demanding attention.

"He's not here anymore." The Turtle Hermit reluctantly answered. He hated to confront ChiChi in any way, shape or form. That woman was hot as hell but scary as it too. Likewise, when ChiChi got in her "protective" mode, she was five times as frightening and illogical as usual. That in itself was enough to make anyone else flee Kame House.

"What do you mean he's not here? Goku doesn't have any other place that he'd take him and he sure as hell isn't at home!"

"He was here. He isn't anymore. He took off."

"GOHAN did?" Bulma interrupted.

"I'm guessing he went after his father…"

"In his condition!" ChiChi absolutely screeched.

Bulma however while she was surprised, she didn't have nearly the astounded reaction the mother did. "That's just like Gohan…"

"What?"

"You should know him by now ChiChi. If it's involving his father, he's always there."

"But he could die!"

"Then we best get going, shouldn't we?" she stated the obvious. Female against female didn't scare her. Besides, sometimes, someone had to point the obvious out to the warrior woman. ChiChi tended to get caught up in the moment and the current crisis so sometimes the obvious seemed to go right over her head. But then, everyone had their weakness.

ChiChi grabbed Master Roshi by the shirt, "SO WHERE DID THEY GO?"

Bulma set her own sights on the old master who looked at the warrior woman with what looked like fear in his eyes.

"I…I dunno where they went. You can't feel an Android's energy!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW!"

"Hold on ChiChi," Bulma interrupted. She ran through the house and then dug through several drawers that she happened upon. She mumbled as she searched, making a face at the porn magazines and other such sexual paraphernalia. How he could be a master martial artist was beyond her comprehension. Still, at least he pretty much kept everything her "beautiful" hands had touched.

Sure enough the scouter she had originally fixed up from Raditz was still here. While Goku's power level had destroyed it, she had rebuilt it, always looking for a new way to improve her inventions. She snapped it on her face and pressed the button on the side, seeking out any power levels. She found tremendous ones out in desert landscape. Clicking it off, she announced,

"The desert ChiChi!"

At least she managed to get her seatbelt on this time…

_OOO_

"Gohan!"

Krillin ran right behind Goku as he rushed to his falling son. Opening his arms, the small child collapsed into them on his downward descent. Goku almost dropped him because of how warm his skin was. Lowering himself to the ground, he immediately looked his son over, tears spilling down his face. The boy's head loomed over his arm and his skin had burned dark black, blood decorating the boy's face. All that remained of the child's clothes blew away with the wind. Goku heard the boy's breathing amazingly but with the injuries he had…

"Krillin! Give me a senzu!"

The human warrior immediately tossed him one. Goku stuck it into his own mouth, chewing it up into a mush before taking it out of his own mouth and placing it in his son's, rubbing his neck to help him swallow. After several tries, it finally went down. The burns faded away, his son's eyes reformed under closed eyelids, the sword wounds disappeared and his ki raised slightly but he didn't wake up.

"Gohan?"

He shook his son. Nothing. His breaths were slowing.

"Gohan!"

Goku placed his hand against his son's throat, finding a slowing pulse. No, not now. They were so close. That damn virus couldn't take his baby from him, not when they were so close. Bulma only needed a little more time, just a little more! Not now! Please, not now. Gohan's heart had to hang in there just a little while longer. Goku placed his hand over his son's chest and gently massaged the heart muscle, enough to keep it going a little bit stronger.

"Don't you dare leave me yet, Gohan. Not yet."

Gohan's eyes remained closed and Goku upped his massage as he felt the heart slowing. His strong fingers dug into the skin, making the muscle contract and release. It was only a temporary remedy though. There had to be more he could do, there had to be! The senzu had healed the other injuries but it couldn't cure an illness.

The massage stopped its aid. Gohan's heart stopped.

"NO!"

Goku shook his son, "No! No! Don't you dare die! Please, little man! Don't die on me!"

Goku's mind was racing, thinking up any possible remedy. In desperation, he lit his hand up with a miniscule ki blast. Krillin blinked at him but Goku hardly seemed aware that there was anyone else around right now. He pressed his fingers over his son's heart and let the blast seep through the boy's skin. The body jerked, briefly but Gohan didn't breathe.

Goku upped the power level a little bit. Another jerk of the child's body.

Nothing resembling life. Tears blurring his vision, Goku tried it again.

A ki…faint but a ki!

"Yes! That's it! Keep fighting for me, little man!"

Krillin stood there, watching his best friend cradling his barely breathing son. Every so often, Goku would press his own lips to Gohan's and give him an extra puff of air. Feeling helpless, he turned his eyes towards the horizon. There was where he saw the small hover car. He focused on the kis and then blinked. "Goku, it's ChiChi and Bulma!"

The Saiyan looked up as the car crashed into the ground and the two women jumped out. Bulma tore ahead of ChiChi uncapping the needle in her hand. For once, Goku didn't run at the sight. Bulma didn't say a thing, too focused on the task at hand. She fell into the burning sand to her knees and without wasting a moment, she stabbed the needle's tip into Gohan's chest, rendering a shriek. She whispered her apology and then injected the dark liquid.

Gohan's limbs trembled and shook while Goku and ChiChi sat by his side, ChiChi stroking his hair and Goku gently cradling his head. The boy broke out ina sweat for a moment and shook a little longer before his tremors gave way to a peaceful sleep. Goku laid his hand against his son's neck. The pulse steadied then strengthened.

Gohan was asleep but alive.

_OOO_

"Daddy…Unca…Mother…Auntie…"

"Shh, shh. Gohan, everyone's okay."

_What? Was that Daddy? Did that mean it wasn't a dream? Did that mean Daddy was okay? That Krillin was okay?_ Gohan's thoughts screeched to a halt with a realization:

His heart didn't burn anymore.

Opening his eyes didn't take nearly as much strength as he thought it would. His vision swirled a moment and he raised a curled fist to his eyes and rubbed them, trying to rub out the blurriness. A soft hand stroked his face and a larger, stronger one rested on his cheek. H e blinked and the faces of Goku and ChiChi clarified.

"Mother? Daddy?"

ChiChi screeched in relief and buried her son's face in kisses. Gohan sat there, stoic, trying to figure out what was going on. He turned to Goku who grinned at him. "Daddy? What's-"

"This is what happens with all that training!" ChiChi insisted. "This is why-"

"Mother…"

"Yes, baby?"

"Don't start on that, please."

She blinked, surprised at his words. Goku chose that moment to get his own word in and change the subject "How do you feel, little man?"

Gohan, pausing, considered this a moment. His heart didn't burn at all anymore! "Great!" his stomach protested "Or at least hungry."

Goku smiled "You cut it kinda close, little man."

Gohan blinked, thinking back, "Daddy?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Did…did I really launch a Kame wave? And go Super Saiyan?"

Goku's face burst out with paternal pride. "Sure did!"

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Gohan beamed like an idiot. "I DID IT!"

Goku scooped his son up and twirled him around. "Yes, yes you did! You did it little man! I'm so proud of you!"

Gohan grinned widely. ChiChi wanted to say something about Gohan doing that but decided, seeing her husband and son's face and the situation that she could save her complaints for another day. Right now, she was just glad her baby was alive! Leave it to Bulma to do something like that. Only that genius could do something like that.

"And Daddy my heart doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Good! Bulma's cure worked then!" Goku planted a series of kisses on his son's cheek. "You're gonna be alright, little man!"

Gohan beamed, drinking in the affection and then his eyes sparkled with mischief "Does that mean I get my candy, ice cream and toy now?"

"Huh?"

"Doncha remember? You said if I got better you'd get me so much candy and ice cream that I'd get a belly ache!"

Goku's eyes flew open. "You heard me? You could hear me?"

"Yep. So we going?"

Goku smiled and kissed his son's cheek. "Well, a promise is a promise. You coming ChiChi?"

ChiChi shook her head but smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for anything."

_OOO_

"Daddy! Can I go on the merry go round now?"

Goku chuckled and set down their heap of packages by the park bench. Gohan's face was decorated with chocolate, ice cream and soda. "Finish that cone first, little man."

The child shoved the rest of it into his mouth, "Tow Dahdy?" he asked with a full mouth. Goku chuckled.

"Swallow then go, kiddo."

Gohan swallowed and then tore over, jumping on the playground equipment, enjoying the spinning toy. ChiChi sat down by Goku on the park bench, just watching Gohan play. This had frightened her great bit. Part of her wanted to keep Gohan from that blasted training even more but she knew in her heart she wouldn't be able to, no matter what she thought. Not only would he find a way to do it anyway but she saw Gohan's eyes light up during training like they were lighting up now. She couldn't bear the thought of killing that bright look.

"He's going to get a stomach ache from all this, Goku."

Goku smirked at her "I know. But he's earned it. After all he did…"

"…I suppose you're right."

He stared at her. Did…did she just agree with him?

She looked up at Goku and then rose from the bench and ran over to her son, jumping onto the ride with him after giving it a running push. Gohan stared at her a moment ,stunned but swiftly recovered and enjoyed the ride. He laughed, clinging to the bars before saying "Daddy, come push us, please?"

Goku chuckled and walked over, grasping one of the bars of the spinning toy. "Fast, little man?"

"REAL fast Daddy!"

"Okay, hang on!"

Gohan and ChiChi clung to the bars for dear life as Goku gave it a sharp jerk in a circle. The two on it turned into a mere blur to his eyes. ChiChi screamed but Gohan laughed. Goku let it come to a stop and Gohan grinned "Faster, Daddy!"

"Faster eh?"

"Yeah! Fast as lightning! Do it as a Super Saiyan Daddy!"

"THAT fast, little man? Can yer stomach handle that?"

"Yep! Pu-lease, Daddy?"

"Okay, if you're sure you can handle it."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Goku chuckled at his son's shining eyes and against his better judgment, let his eyes turn aqua and his hair golden. He put two fingers against the bars and just gave the toy a gentle flick. It took off at a speed that nearly made Goku dizzy. But when it tottled to a stop, Gohan was laughing his head off. ChiChi looked sick and swiftly got off though. Gohan laid on his back, laughing. Goku picked his son up by the leg,

"You like that, kiddo?"

"Yeah!"

Goku grinned and tossed Gohan up into the air. The boy squealed in delight.

ChiChi gathered her senses and had to smile. Goku opened his arms and caught his son on the way down. Hearing the boy's laugh, the laugh he'd been afraid he'd never hear again was better than anything else at that moment. He could have stood there and tossed him and caught him for the rest of time had that been an option.

_OOO_

Hmph….Gero narrowed his eyes in thought. Nine and Ten had failed. They were obviously not as strong as the doctor had hoped. Oh well, their failures had provided him with invaluable information. Now, he knew some of Goku's extra abilities as well as the abilities of his son. They were far higher than he had originally planned. Nonetheless, he would keep working.

He vowed not to make the same mistakes with his creations in progress.

Eighteen and Seventeen had several more adjustments to be made, items to be added that would take at least a year but no matter.

Perfection, after all, was not something to be rushed.

His lab was silent.

_OOO_

"Gohan!"

ChiChi shook her head as her son ran around the couch, playing while she tried to get some laundry folded. Goku was fixing up the rooms that had been damaged by the attack. For tonight, they would all just have to bunk together in the master bedroom which was not something either of them minded. The small family was rather looking forward to the cuddling.

"Well, that's the best I can do for now. Bulma might be able to help some tomorrow." Goku walked into the living room only to be ambushed from behind.

"I gotcha Daddy!"

"Oh, attacking from behind eh?"

Gohan grinned and flipped over his father's shoulders. Goku laughed.

Gohan was decked out in one of his clean gis. The shirt trailed all the way to the ground and draped off him like a tent. How he managed to move in it without it falling off him completely was beyond the Saiyan's comprehension. He had even tied the belt on but even it trailed down like a dead snake, flopping to the boy's feet.

He was adorable.

Goku snatched his son up around the waist and playfully tickled his feet. "I'll teach you to attack your father."

Gohan squealed "Cheater!"

Goku flipped his son back over, sat down on the couch by ChiChi and started to attack the boy's belly. Given the loose gi, it made his belly easy to get to. Goku took a deep inhale and exhaled it out on his son's stomach, rendering a ear piercing giggle from his son's throat. Gohan kicked his legs and Goku took that to his advantage to tickle the bottoms.

ChiChi smiled, watching the two out of the corner of her eye. They always looked so cute together. With Gohan decked out in his father's clothes, they really looked like carbon copies of one another even down to the way they would smile, the way they would laugh and even the way Gohan would lay while he was catching his breath.

After about fifteen more minutes of their horseplay, Gohan yawned widely and Goku stopped.

"Okay, little man, no more. Time for you to go to bed."

"Not…tired…Daddy" he tried to insist through his yawns. Goku scooped him up like a baby, wrapping the gi around him like it was a blanket.

"Of course not. Just rest your eyes for a minute while Daddy and Mother finish some stuff up. Then, we'll be in to join you, okay?"

The boy yawned again, "…Kay."

"That's my boy." As Goku walked into the master bedroom, Gohan curled up into a tight ball, burying his face into Goku's chest. The Saiyan placed his lips against Gohan's forehead, savoring the boy's scent, his presence, everything about him from his long dark eyelashes down to the tiny little fingers sticking out of the gi. Gohan's left hand made its way into his mouth and Goku handed him the stuffed Icarus he'd bought him that day. Laying him down on the bed, he covered him up as ChiChi walked in to join him. Goku gave his wife a gentle look and then gazed down at his son. So gentle, so sweet, so loyal, so strong.

"That's my son…" he crawled into bed beside the boy, wrapping his arms around the boy's small form as ChiChi took up her own side of the bed, forgetting the laundry. It would still be there in the morning after all. Taking time out to just savor their little boy was priceless. She closed her eyes, grateful for this family that was hers to treasure.

Goku laid awake for a long time. He just watched Gohan sleep. The boy's chest rose and fell steadily. His heart beat was strong. He dreamed. Goku laid down by his son, keeping his eyes forever locked on the boy's face. The child slurped on his fingers for a bit, clutching his stuffed dragon with the other hand. But he was alive, he was healthy and he was his. Always and forever, no matter what dangers came their way.

Goku laid his hand into the boy's dark hair and gently ruffled it. Gohan smiled in his sleep.

"That's my son…that's my son…"

With another kiss to the forehead, Goku drifted off himself, his strong arms wrapped around Gohan who pressed his face into Goku's chest, relaxed and content.

And safe.


End file.
